Dangan Ronpa: Dungeon of Infinite Hope
by Lolitafreak88
Summary: In a universe where the 77th, 78th, and 53rd classes all attended Hope's Peak Academy, a suspicious situation has fallen upon them. Trapped in a strange building, forced to participate in an RPG called Despair Dungeon, and only able to wake four of their classmates per every ten floors of completion, four students of the 53rd class begin the journey to hope and graduation. AU
1. Prologue

Dangan Ronpa: Dungeon of Infinite Hope

By Lolitafreak88

-This story takes place in an AU based on the Talent Development Plan and Despair Dungeon minigames of New Danganronpa V3 Killing Harmony. So for those who haven't played and unlocked those modes, there will be spoilers! So be careful.-

Prologue: Wake Me Up Inside

A young woman attending Hope's Peak Academy was currently within the folds of sleep. At some point in her head, she realized that it was high time for her eyelids to open and for the day to begin. She found herself seated upright as opposed to being placed upon a neatly made bed which suggested to herself that she had perhaps passed out while at a desk. Despite her many responsibilities, she was a student first and foremost and so she presumably had gotten careless and overcome with exhaustion in the middle of a lesson. Yet her last memory of what she had been doing before sleeping was undergoing a very busy work schedule. It was this concern that made any lingering doubts about going back to sleep instead cause her senses to sharpen and for her to sit up at once with eyes wide open and scanning. She realized instantly that she was indeed in a classroom but the lighting was dramatically darker, suggesting it was the middle of the evening or that the lights were off. Closer inspection suggested the latter and caused Kirumi Tojo to quietly murmur,

"What has happened here…?"

 **Kirumi Tojo, The Ultimate Maid. Goddess of Selfless Devotion.**

Kirumi got out of her seat hastily, sensing a sense of fear and paranoia about this situation. Her instincts as the advisor to countless masters were near unparallelled and gave her a sense of initiative that made it hard for her to be so easily shaken. Having attended Hope's Peak Academy strictly to find new masters to serve and hone her talents further allowed her to meet many new and interesting personalities with great desires and ambitions. As strange as they could get, Kirumi found she was able to help all of them in her ways as a maid and with her creed of 'selfless devotion' meaning she was entitled to not turning her back on any request. At the very least she didn't turn back on any request that was within her boundaries as a maid and sometimes she herself would propose solutions and advice to things her masters were struggling with. Simultaneously, as a student of Hope's Peak Academy, she was fairly independent in how she would go about her duties and schedule. So for this unusual change of scenery and mysterious circumstances of waking in a darkened classroom to have happened meant she had to do something about it. She looked around the room and found an even more startling sight. Three of her other classmates were sleeping in different desks. The yellow coat, the witch's hat, and the beanie with the tennis rackets on it… there was no mistaking them. Angie Yonaga, Himiko Yumeno, and Ryoma Hoshi.

"Ryoma! Angie! Himiko! Please arise!" Kirumi rushed to Ryoma to stir him awake as he was closest to her.

Surprisingly it was Angie who stirred first despite Kirumi's grasp on Ryoma's shoulders, likely having heard her cry. The white-haired girl stirred awake and stretched her arms out, perhaps not realizing the situation's strangeness judging by her cheerful smile and idle groan. Kirumi always held some reservations about Angie's inability to ever appear sad or angry. At most, Angie would just seem at eternal ease and happiness. Was it optimism or perhaps skillful acting akin to some of the other students who liked to adopt facades and traits contrary to their true nature? Ultimately Angie was smart and a very upbeat person though when it came to her religion, her unshakeable belief in the monotheistic deity Atua, she was unexpectedly persistent. Kirumi hadn't really sealed herself to any particular belief at the moment so whenever Angie had asked her to believe in Atua, she found herself able to evade the topic well. Still, with how unusual the situation was, seeing Angie alright was enough of a cause to make Kirumi lay these reservations to rest and smile. Angie's blue eyes analyzed the room before she clasped her hands together and spoke a mantra,

"Bless Atua for another wonderful morning!"

 **Angie Yonaga, The Ultimate Artist, Oracle of Atua**

"Angie. Are you feeling alright?" Kirumi asked the most clear question as she started to feel Ryoma stir.

"Hiya, hiya Kirumi! Are you here to ask what I want for breakfast?" Angie cheerfully greeted.

"Normally that would be so but there is something else to be concerned about at the moment."

"Oh? It does appear we've fallen asleep in class! Or did Atua leave me here after I was struck with His divine inspiration? What a mysterious mystery!" Angie placed her hands on her puffed cheeks as she analyzed the situation in her own way.

Kirumi had been told by Angie a few times that her talent of the Ultimate Artist was indebted to her god. He supposedly possessed her or filled her with 'divine inspiration' that allowed her to create splendid paintings, sculptures, sketches, and other such pieces of art in a trance. Her artwork was of such a caliber that a few classmates went to the Nurse's Office after seeing it or had their perspective of Angie completely changed. Kirumi hadn't yet been able to see Angie's artwork for herself since she usually dedicated any free time to continuing her work as the Ultimate Maid or her studies. Kirumi couldn't help but wonder sometimes why she didn't just open up about when these bouts of inspiration started happening for her and whether or not she could create art without needing to 'orgasm' as one of her more rowdy classmates Miu Iruma put it. Still as she was somewhat lost in her thoughts, she started to feel movement on her fingertips.

"Mmn…" Ryoma's deep voice could be heard as he started to slowly lift his head from the desk and prompted Kirumi to let go of him.

"So we are not alone in this! How divine!" Angie lifted herself out of the seat and appeared to be getting more excited than scared once she noticed Ryoma and Kirumi.

"Ryoma, it is me Kirumi. Angie and Himiko are here too. Are you coming to?" Kirumi spoke calmly.

Ryoma was finally able to wake up and rubbed his eyes clearly as his round eyes rose to face Kirumi's. He looked a little bothered by the circumstances which Kirumi believed to be fair at the moment.

"Not the first time I've been woken up forcefully. Thanks anyways Kirumi." Ryoma spoke with his usual dour tone.

 **Ryoma Hoshi, The Ultimate Tennis Pro, Former Killer Tennis**

"My apologies for not waking you up as you would prefer." Kirumi apologized with her hands clasped.

"Indeed. Back on my island the morning sun would stir me awake from my dreams. That is one thing I have missed dearly. Well… that and the sickles." Angie lamented as she pulled out her paintbrush and pressed it under her mouth.

"Ironic for Hope's Peak to let a prisoner attend their academy but not allow sickles to be on the campus even if it was to be used for just gardening." Ryoma grumbled sarcastically.

Kirumi frowned. Ryoma had a long and tragic history for someone so young. While he hadn't disclosed all the ideas compared to Angie's vocalness about her island's traditions, she recalled distinctly he had been convicted for murdering a mafia gang and Hope's Peak took pity on the Ultimate Tennis Pro for the sake of his talent and brought him in as a student. It had made Kirumi slightly question the standards of Hope's Peak to make such a compromise but getting to know Ryoma made her reconsider thinking of the Academy as brash. He was a genuinely kind person, serious and not usually one to express excitement or joy but he rarely caused conflict, had been patient and understanding, and listened carefully to everyone around him. She respected him dearly for this despite the fact he had all but abandoned his talent due to the trauma it carried. _It is my duty to help him be able to move on and accept his new life as a student of Hope's Peak,_ she thought.

"Now what's going on exactly?" He asked.

"We appear to be in a classroom but it's dark which would suggest it being nighttime or an unused classroom. Nobody else from our class save the four of us is within sight." Kirumi laid down the situation.

"Hmm… Tennis Pro, Maid, Artist, and Mage… one sport, one occupation, one creative, and one entertainment. We're all somewhat different too so I wonder if that's a connection." Ryoma considered as he pulled out a candy cigarette from his pocket.

"Perhaps we have been chosen for a reason." Angie remarked, pointing her paintbrush at Kirumi and Ryoma.

"I find that rather unusual seeing as Kaede and Kaito appear to be the main representatives of our class. I also find it hard to believe we would be chosen for a meeting if this is to be one." Kirumi clarified.

"Atua believes that this could be part of a school event! He is saying we should stay calm in the meantime and pray!" Angie offered her god's opinion.

Both Kirumi and Ryoma only offered her lukewarm glances. Ever serious, they knew it had to be something deeper than a school event based on the lack of anyone else being in this classroom. They could tell Angie was partly trying to ease the tension but it wasn't what was needed right now. Little did they realize that Himiko was finally starting to stir awake, usually taking the longest to get up of the entire class.

"Nyeh… what's going on…?" She mumbled as she adjusted her hat.

 **Himiko Yumeno, The Ultimate Magician, Actually a Mage.**

"Hiyonara Himiko! Angie was about to pray to Atua for His guidance about what has happened. Would you like to join?" Angie, who had always been closest to Himiko, greeted her first.

"Eh? W-we're in a classroom? But I went to bed in my own room last night after using the bathroom. Did I accidentally use teleportation magic?" Himiko quickly grew alert at her surroundings.

Himiko on the other hand was a more interesting case of Ultimate talent as she was officially known as the Ultimate Magician but she had a strong desire to be recognized as a 'Mage'. Still, her ability to perform marvelous tricks, sleight of hands, and other such performance-styled magic was truly incredible considering her size and demeanor. While normally a very lazy person, she had grown a lot over the years to become much more expressive and even active as a person. Kirumi knew that she probably would never outgrow the desire to be seen as a 'Mage' and it was fortunate other students at the Academy responded warmly and played along with Himiko's desires. Angie in particular was one of Himiko's biggest supporters so having Angie around would do a lot to make Himiko feel comfortable with this situation.

"I don't think so Himiko…" Ryoma adjusted his hat and got out of his seat as he spoke.

"Then what gives?"

"It might be best for all of us to leave this classroom to investigate." Kirumi suggested.

"But Angie's doing her morning prayer session to the handsome god…" Himiko pointed out as Angie had her eyes closed, hands clasped, and was murmuring sweet hums.

"I guess it's ok to let her pray… especially since it seems to be a daily routine for her." Ryoma theorized dryly.

Angie's prayer session took about five minutes before she clapped her hands above her head and gave an enlightened smile.

"Nyahaha! Atua's words are ringing loud and clear. Kirumi, Ryoma, Himiko, we must go find our friends!" She exclaimed.

"My… how passionate." Himiko remarked.

"She's right though. Let's start searching." Ryoma went for the classroom door.

Kirumi's graceful silhouette, Himiko's insecure body language, and Angie's merry skip followed after him as he opened the door out to the hallway. The hallway mirrored Hope's Peak in many ways but there was something unusual about the dark lighting and the alignment of some of the seven rooms. There were three homeroom signs, Class 77, Class 78, and Class 53 and then four signs that said 'Armory, 'Cafeteria', 'Homeroom' and 'Student Council Room' respectively. They were spaced rather far apart, suggesting they were large rooms or led to other hallways but at the end of the hall was what looked like an open entrance, marked black in the shadows of the dark academy, with what looked like medieval steel bars blocking the entrance. An elevator was also stationed next to it but it was blocked off with a sign that said 'Out of Service'. Even more bizarre was there didn't appear to be any set of stairs despite Hope's Peak Academy having buildings with many floors on the campus. It was as if the entire building itself had been sealed and this was some sort of closed space.

"What is the meaning of this…?" Kirumi looked slightly unnerved.

"Are we in some kind of castle? Those bars look just like the ones a wizard's castle would have…" Himiko asked idly, not yet so nervous.

"I don't know, I don't know. We should be at Hope's Peak Academy after all." Angie reminded the others.

"..." Ryoma looked a bit pale.

In his heart he was fearing that somehow they were prisoners now, something only he had known before. This place was giving the atmosphere of a prison with the grim lighting, closed off spaces, and limited area to roam and there was no sunlight or hope to be seen from the looks of it. All the memories of his past sins and his past time being a prisoner were beginning to overwhelm him. Angie was the first to notice his distraught expression.

"Be at ease Ryoma. Atua is watching over us. He says we shouldn't assume the worst yet." Angie striked a series of poses as she comforted him.

 _I'm relieved she didn't try to hug me,_ Ryoma thought. Ryoma did think Angie had raised a fair point but he was intimidated by how perceptive she could be.

"I'm sorry. It'd be foolish of me to become unreliable when we appear to be the only ones here." He cleared up.

"Do not hesitate to rely on me if you are feeling overcome Ryoma. A maid's true desire is to be able to be relied on after all." Kirumi also gave her potential solution to his distress.

"I could probably cast a spell later when I get enough MP to cheer you up too… still what do you think are in those rooms? I mean an armory is usually for keeping weapons and equipment together in medieval times..." Himiko put a finger to her mouth in thought.

"It does seem unusual for this school to have an armory. There are such talents as Ultimate Blacksmith and Swordswoman who are or have attended this school but for a school to build something like that for only a select group of talents is questionable at best." Kirumi explained.

"Or that they'd even have weapons stored on campus." Ryoma added.

"Maybe this really is a school event after all. It's possible there is a medieval theme and the 'armory' is a decorated room for the event!" Angie offered.

"If that were the case then there'd be much more decorations in this hallway Angie. Also they wouldn't have kept the hallways so dark so that it'd be harder to get around." Ryoma defended his assessment.

"I see… if we had a candle it'd be much easier to navigate then!" Angie remarked in an inspired fashion, pulling out a mallet and chisel.

"Or the Luminous spell…" Himiko added.

"I think the former is more likely to be attained while we are here." Kirumi somewhat flatly replied.

"I think we better check out the classrooms first. Class 53 is ours after all and I know that it wasn't next to 77 or 78." Ryoma took charge of the conversation.

"Do… do you think the rest of our classmates are in there?" Himiko asked nervously.

"Atua is always on our side so I'm positive that he has spirited away not just us but also them to this mysterious place!" Angie remarked gleefully.

"That is reassuring should it be true. Let's verify at once." Kirumi said calmly.

The four students made their way into the classroom they were certain was the classroom they had all spent a great deal of memories in, joyous ones, sad ones, exciting ones. It was around the end of the third year after all, ever close to graduation time. So surely the class they had spent so many memories with were in this room, possibly sleeping in desks themselves. They were alarmed to find something that wasn't at all what any of them had in mind. They were shocked to find what seemed to be a series of pods, all aligned in a circle, with each of their classmates trapped inside. Kaede Akamatsu, Rantaro Amami, Korekiyo Shinguji, Tenko Chabashira, Gonta Gokuhara, Miu Iruma, Kaito Momota, Kokichi Oma, Tsumugi Shirogane, Kiibo, Maki Harukawa and Saihara Shuichi. There were helmets attached to their heads and it suggested that they were in a deep, forced sleep. There also appeared to be a card reader in the middle of the room, the kind used at a casino or to sign into a top-secret establishment. It was all very high-tech and futuristic but it was also alarming and out of place. The entire situation of course was out of place but this didn't help the matter much.

"What the hell…?" Ryoma looked angered by this.

"Ah! They must be in a divine sleep. Like a fairy tale!" Angie, as usual it seemed, didn't react with much alarm.

"Angie this is serious. They've been put in some kind of cryogenic sleep like in the movies."

"That sounds like something Hifumi would say… are you sure it's true?" Himiko thought aloud.

"I know I'm not an expert in that but it looks like the ones you see in science fiction. Usually to preserve people for years upon end." Ryoma explained.

"But who would do such a thing?" Angie took notice of Ryoma's stern tone to inquire about the situation.

"It's difficult to determine right now as we have no evidence or leads. We should try to wake them up at once." Kirumi ran towards the card reader and began to analyze it carefully.

Himiko did things her own way by going straight over to Tenko's pod and banging on it and trying to get it to open. It was natural for her to try to wake up Tenko first as Tenko had been the one to approach Himiko first when they came to Hope's Peak Academy and the two shared a very strong bond.

"Tenko! Tenko please wake up…!" She cried.

"Wait, breaking the pods might have some unintentional effects on them. Stay calm." Ryoma tried to settle Himiko down after seeing her actions.

"I'll pray for them to wake up soon but Atua has never had a good relationship with technology He doesn't understand." Angie admitted, already in a prayer pose.

"Then won't that mean He'll be unable to crack the code?" Himiko asked Angie concerned.

"It'll be ok though. I'm sure there's a solution that Kirumi is figuring out right? She's always so reliable." Angie shifted the topic off to Kirumi who was kneeling down to examine the card reader carefully.

Kirumi was trying her best with what she knew from previous jobs on how to handle this type of machine. In truth, most of her masters wouldn't use a card reader but rather a voice reader or a device controlled by a remote, buttons, or a lever. A few did have card readers but without any cards in sight to use, it'd be a fruitless endeavour. Regrettably she was unable to find anything as she shook her head.

"Unless we have the proper cards we won't be able to use this machine to wake up our friends…" She lamented, looking disappointed in herself.

"You think Miu or someone like Kazuichi built this?" Ryoma offered.

"Miu can be an idiot but I don't think she would put herself to sleep for something like this…" Himiko muttered.

"An Atua-damned idiot!" Angie claimed in jest.

"*Groan*..." Ryoma looked to be having a headache at all this mystery and ominous activity.

"I am beginning to have an epiphany thanks to Atua's guidance though! Could this be the work of Hope's Peak Academy as some sort of test? We were about to graduate after all!" Perhaps thinking she was upsetting Ryoma, Angie offered a more concrete idea.

Ryoma, Kirumi, and Himiko both looked to Angie with surprise. Her idea did make some sense, if anything unusual was to be happening to them as full-fledged Ultimates, it would ultimately come down to the Academy itself. As bizarre as this setup was, perhaps it really was some sort of test? Testing their fortitude and resourcefulness? Testing them being able to use their talents to get out of there? Was it a final step towards graduation on the Academy's part? Or at the very least, that this series of events had a direct connection to graduation.

"It's a shady method of testing us though… and why put Tenko and the others to sleep but leave us four awake?" Himiko argued as she glared under her hat.

"Himiko is right. Should it really be so simple as a test then everyone would be awake to take this test, not just us." Kirumi showed agreement.

"Back to the drawing board then I guess." Angie made an ironic statement for the Ultimate Artist.

"If there really are cards though, then that must mean there must be some way to attain them and that they exist. We have to find them if we want to free the others." Ryoma added.

"You think the other classrooms also have students in stasis?" Himiko asked surprised.

"If that is so then we may be in a more precarious situation… someone had to have been able to set this building up accordingly, kidnap and incacipate three classes of about 16 students each, and then place them in these pods while leaving us four in a classroom to conveniently wake up." Kirumi put a hand to her face and gave a dark gaze.

"Whoever did it must not believe in Atua and will deserve punishment for many years when you describe it like that." Angie gave a dark expression of her own.

"And they'll also have a taste of my magic!" Himiko pointed angrily.

"I don't think vengeance will solve anything but committing more sins... We should work on freeing ourselves." Ryoma warned the others.

"Nyahahaha! Ryoma is correct! We should free our friends and rescue the disciples of Atua!" Angie appeared to sway her arms like a fan at a game.

"I don't recall anyone becoming one of your disciples though…" Ryoma bluntly stated towards Angie, a bit put off by how quickly she changed her mood.

"Aww you really should believe in Atua Ryoma… He'd be kind and loving towards you like an endearing lover. You and I would also get a valuable points bonus!" Angie lamented before going into an advertisement.

"Angie please. We need to reassess our situation and investigate the other rooms." Kirumi reprimanded Angie as she took note of Ryoma's reaction.

Ryoma had flinched… no, had leapt towards Angie rather aggressively and so swiftly than only Kirumi caught the movement in time. He had moved a few spaces towards in the span of one of his famous Shukuchi Method manuevers. Ryoma was sweating at this point and looked angry yet ashamed of himself. He had instinctively lashed out over what Angie had said or perhaps what Angie had deduced. Kirumi in particular seemed to be connecting the dots over what had plagued Ryoma's past so badly beyond the Mafia murders but she was not in the position to ask him to share. She also knew he wouldn't likely share any personal details regarding it and while he had become a much more positive and hopeful person recently, it was clear this situation was putting him on edge. Angie's behavior too was overly lackadaisical for the atmosphere of the situation as well. To her credit, Angie appeared to apologize,

"Atua senses that in His clumsiness He may have upset you. I apologize in His name."

"... Just be more careful Angie. I… I have a lot on my mind right now and extra stress is not what I need." Ryoma confessed.

"Nyeh… I want to go back to sleep if this is a dream." Himiko complained, sounding nervous.

Himiko was originally a very lazy person after all, finding effort in things other than magic to be tiresome and painful. Her friends at Hope's Peak were making her change her thinking on being lazy in many ways. She was encouraged to be more expressive, to want to live life at an authentic level, to not give up so easily, and to be committed and determined as best she could be. Tenko in particular helped her a lot with this but people like Gundham Tanaka, Akane Owari, Hiyoko Saionji, and others gave her a lot of encouragement in their own unique ways. So right now, her wish to go to bed was not out of nervousness but out of fear. She was fearful of something bad going to happen if it wasn't already happening to them.

"Himiko…" Angie looked understanding.

"I believe that there may be a place to rest at the 'Homeroom' area if we go look. I believe that it's crucial right now to keep searching." Kirumi asserted herself.

The other three appeared to nod, Himiko more weakly than the others, and the four of them went back into the hallway to keep up the search. Wanting to ensure that their hunch was correct, they peered into the 77th classroom. The room had very much the same layout as their own classroom, pods laid out in a circle with a card reader machine in the center. Curiously, there appeared to be a few more sleeping figures this time around, likely due to the fact that the four of them were not given pods, and a few of these people looked unfamiliar to them. Akane Owari, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Gundham Tanaka, Hiyoko Saionji, Ibuki Mioda, Kazuichi Soda, Mahiru Koizumi, Mikan Tsumuki, Nagito Komaeda, Nekomaru Nidai, Peko Pekoyama, Sonia Nevermind, Teruteru Hanamura, the Ultimate Imposter (Who nobody knew their name but knew enough that he was disguising himself as Togami for much of the school year), class representative Chiaki Nanami, oddly enough Usami the mascot teacher of sorts and…

"Hajime…?" Ryoma looked shocked at what he saw.

"The Reserve Course student who frequented with Class 77. But that can't be..." Kirumi reacted with similar alarm.

What they saw in one of the pods was some mysterious-looking student who resembled Hajime in the outfit he was prone to wearing, overall size and skin tone but had a mane of very long, flowing black hair. It looked as though Hajime was wearing a wig but there was also something unusual about this, not only the fact he was here but that he would even have such a drastic shift in appearance.

"Ooh… I feel a great divinity coming from him!" Angie rubbed herself somewhat awkwardly for the others as she made an exclamation.

"He does kind of look like how you describe Atua sometimes Angie…" Himiko admitted.

"But that's… why would he do something like this to himself? Or at least… what happened to him?" Ryoma looked distraught.

Ryoma had had several interactions with Hajime throughout the school year, all of them very fond memories in his heart and he appreciated the boy's humbleness and kindness. He in particular understood Ryoma had no choice when he had committed the deed that earned him the title 'Killer Tennis' and Ryoma in return had advised the reserve course student to be careful with his choices in life. He had also urged Ryoma to go to Himiko's Christmas magic show and treasure his bonds with his class. Yet Ryoma felt crushed to see that if this person was truly Hajime, something was obviously different about him and he didn't know why. _Did he acquire a talent?_ Ryoma theorized weakly and with an unsatisfied feeling in his heart. So far this was ironically the cruelest thing he had seen so far since waking up.

"And this is Usami correct…? She was programmed as a Teacher for Hope's Peak Academy and built by the Ultimates? I have to say she looks incredibly doll-like in this pod. That may be because she is a doll herself from what I've been told." Kirumi made an observation since she hadn't really gotten to see Usami much.

"Yeah… she wants to hog the title of Hope's Peak Magician so she's my rival." Himiko pouted.

"Aww Himiko, no matter what sort of magical entity comes your way, you will always be the true practitioner of magical talent! I guarantee it!" Angie assured Himiko of her abilities.

"I definitely will if I ever want to reunite with my master someday…" Himiko spoke softly.

Even though Himiko's comment was somber, it was also hopeful and was able to somewhat dispense the tense atmosphere and fears being built within the four Ultimates. They left the room to check on the 78th classroom when Angie raised another point,

"Um, um so does this mean the Reserve Course is also here? Hajime doesn't have an Ultimate talent so this could be a test for the entire student body."

"I can't imagine they would be able to store that many pods in a sealed building like this… Hajime spent a lot of time with the 77th class too. Whoever's responsible for this must've considered him one of their own." Ryoma answered.

"And it'd also be more fruitful for a potential mastermind to imprison Ultimates if they were attempting to blackmail the Academy. Yet putting them to sleep and the card reader makes me convinced there's an even more extravagant objective here." Kirumi commented.

"What a pain… you'd think that whoever captured us would come out and show themselves already." Himiko mumbled.

"Maybe, maybe we should look into the Student Council room? Atua thinks that there might be something very important in there!" Angie proposed.

"We should check to see that the 78th class is alright first Angie…" Ryoma intervened.

"Are you defying the word of Atua again Ryoma? He knows by now that the 78th class must be asleep like the other classes are and if we dilly-dally too much… the Mastermind could use the opportunity to punish us." Angie looked a bit threatened and threatening.

"Humph… you can go investigate the Student Council room if you want but there are friends in the 78th class that we need to make sure are safe. You may know how to prioritize Angie but when it comes to negotiation you've still got a ways to go."

In a slightly standoffish fashion, Ryoma went to the 78th classroom against Angie's wishes. If Angie was upset she didn't show it but she did look more disappointed if anything. Kirumi looked nervous at the increasing discord between the four of them. If the Mastermind was going to 'punish' them in anyway, it was possibly through getting them to turn on one another. Kirumi was determined to not let her friends succumb to such ill desires. It was at that moment that as soon as Kirumi was making her way after Ryoma, she heard the sound of a door being opened suddenly. Alarmed, Kirumi turned around, looking back towards the classroom that she had originally awoken up in. Her eyes were able to briefly see the door being closed shut in a rather creepy fashion. Himiko and Angie hadn't noticed as both girls appeared to have been looking to one another in insecurity over Ryoma's decision. They did hear the door slam closed which caused the Artist and Magician to gasp in surprise.

"W-who's there? S-show yourself before I turn you into a pumpkin!" Himiko looked to be shaking now as she tried miserably to sound brave.

"A bump in the night? Or something else?" Angie asked, sounding still upbeat but also perplexed.

Kirumi didn't bother waiting for either girl to perhaps command her to go investigate, she sensed something suspicious was going on and that the perpetrator had rushed into the classroom. While at first glance it would seem better for Ryoma to go after such a lead, Kirumi herself had trained in many combat styles and scenarios in the need that her masters would need a maid to be a capable combatant. Furthermore, hearing the distress in Himiko's voice was an unconscious request for Kirumi to ease her fears by uncovering what they just heard. Kirumi dashed towards the classroom door and opened it hastily, taking a risk in that she could be attacked or that she would trigger some sort of trap that the perpetrator had set up. What she found instead was the same empty classroom… and a mysterious key with a bear insignia of sorts on the desk that Angie in particular had woken up in. The key proved that someone was in here but the absence of anyone added an eerie sense of something invisible or with the power to disappear instantaneously having been in the room but escaped.

"This is far too much like the haunted house for my liking…" Kirumi huffed, annoyed but also slightly unnerved.

She grabbed onto the key and peered at it closer to see that the bear insignia was cast half in a darker sheen of metal and a lighter metal like the rest of the key. In fact it looked much like the strange Monokumas that Kirumi had been told about when they had interfered in the Sports Festival. While Kirumi hadn't seen it for herself, Himiko and much of her other classmates had indeed seen him and he had been very obnoxious and even a bit dangerous. It was reason to believe then that Monokuma was somehow related to this crime and that he likely had entered this room, left the key, and then teleported mysteriously. Kirumi was tempted to search the room one more time for any more clues but she was afraid that if she stayed alone in this room for too long that something dangerous would happen to her. Hastily leaving and shutting the door behind her, she saw Ryoma had returned and was talking to Angie and Himiko.

"Ryoma! Were the 78th class sleeping as well?" She called out to them to alert of her safety and presence before walking over to them.

"Yes. Makoto Naegi, Leon Kuwata, Sayaka Maizono, Mondo Oowada, Chihiro Fujisaki, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Hifumi Yamada, Celestia Ludenberg, Sakura Ogami, Aoi Asahina, Byakuya Togami, Hagakure Yasuhiro, Toko Fukuwa, Kyoko Kirigiri, and Junko Enoshima." Ryoma recounted their names carefully for greater accuracy.

"Nyahaha! So many potential followers of Atua!" Angie remarked.

"Angie I don't know if you'll get any followers here for Atua before graduation ends…" Himiko tried to tell Angie to calm down on her religious passions in her own way.

"But I'm running low on blood donations… ah well, I suppose I can wait till I return home to my island to get some more!" Angie seemed willing to wait.

"That'd be preferable. What did you find Kirumi?" Ryoma sighed and then asked Kirumi a question.

"I'm beginning to suspect Monokuma may be an accomplice or the perpetrator of this bizarre barricade. This key has a design mirroring him and no one was in the room, suggesting he teleported away." Kirumi clarified.

"Good thing he didn't hit you with a lot of baseballs. But I can't believe that the bear would be able to capture us or use these strange coffins." Himiko said.

"That's a good point… it has to be someone operating Monokuma or perhaps several people and Monokuma working together to pull this off." Ryoma said.

"Or maybe it's the Student Council? Angie has met them before at her art exhibit. They could probably pull this off with the principal's permission." Angie wondered aloud but it sounded a bit more like she was reminding the group of her earlier idea.

"The Student Council wouldn't trust Monokuma though… and this is far too extreme for an organized group of students with affairs and control over the Academy's workings to do. It'd be an abuse of power, considering we were brought here without consenting to this." Kirumi shot down that idea.

"Atua's wisdom is guiding us towards looking in the Student Council room anyways for more information. It's mysterious and concerning that they would be imprisoned here with us despite them being oracles of Hope's Peak Academy." Angie closed her eyes and held her pointer finger and thumb together in a meditative pose.

"I think we should go look there next anyway. Maybe Monokuma is in there waiting to gloat about the situation or something." Himiko showed her support for the idea.

"I don't know… is there a lock on the door?" Kirumi was examining the key with a furrowed brow.

Ryoma sprinted over to the door with the efficiency and grace of a jackal before he called out to the girls in an alarming tone,

"Yes! Also there's something else!"

"Ehhhhh? Something else?" Angie looked genuinely surprised before she bounced after him.

Himiko and Kirumi simply chose to walk over though it was clear that by the looks on their faces, both girls were now very uneasy about the door. Nearing closer and they could see the 'something else' in frightening detail. There was an ominous red stain that appeared to have leaked out from within the room and had gathered under the door in a small pool. The lock on the door was some unusual padlock that had been set on the door with a jagged design similar to Monokuma's right eye. Ultimately there was nothing comforting about this 'Student Council' room door and only Angie seemed relatively unphased as she actually crouched down and planted her finger on the blood. Considering Angie had often sought some blood offerings for her island it made sense at least to her classmates why she would be calm about the sight of blood. Still it did make Ryoma, Himiko, and Kirumi wonder how she didn't show any shock or concern about what created that blood.

"This blood appears rather dry. Can't be used for an offering to Atua unfortunately but it does appear that this blood might've been made recently." Angie said rather nonchalantly, twiddling her fingers.

"Recently…? B-but by who…?" Himiko looked very uneasy.

"Let's pray it's not anything serious…" Ryoma gave a severe look towards the door.

"Should we wait till we investigate the other rooms before looking into this one…?" Kirumi offered out of both sympathy and dread.

"Isn't it more pressing though to check on the status of the Student Council when there's blood right outside their door?" Angie suggested, pulling out her sculpting tools again.

"You make it sound like you know what went down in there…" Ryoma raised an eyebrow at Angie.

"Atua is telling me to brace myself for the worst. So that is why, that is why, we should open the door!" Angie's insistence was emphasized by the poses she made in quick succession.

"If that is you and your god's request Angie then I shall open the door." Kirumi agreed, albeit half-heartedly as she stuck the key into the lock.

"I don't know if I wanna look now…" Himiko muttered nervously.

"You don't have to look Himiko if you don't want to… it might be better for someone of your innocence to not involve yourself with whatever's behind that door." Ryoma spoke from experience.

Himiko nodded and turned her back on the door as Kirumi removed the padlock and finally opened the door. They were greeted with an overwhelming smell of blood at first, the nature of it being dried not helping to tone down the intensity of the aroma. Even more startling and traumatizing than the aroma was the sight that laid in wait for them inside. In regards to the Student Council, there were a total of 14 members from what the students of Hope's Peak Academy understood. The lack of a 14th body being present in this room was perhaps a miracle of sorts because what lied in wait within the room were 13 corpses scattered about the room. Some were strewn over desks, probably moved from wherever they first had been killed, others were lying on the floor, and some were so horribly marred that it was difficult to make out their original identity. Shot, stabbed, eviscerated, impaled, and severed with the weapons being used clearly stolen away but for someone like Ryoma or Kirumi to have a natural understanding of weapons thanks to their histories and training, they could recognize grimly and with horror what was used on these members.

"Eeek!" Kirumi put a gloved hand to her mouth as she couldn't hold back a small scream of complete startlement.

"... What in the name of-" Ryoma's expression was soulless and stunned.

"I-is it bad…?!" Himiko to her credit, had her back still turned but sounded noticeably distraught after hearing Kirumi's reaction.

"I think it would be best you didn't see this Himiko... I'm going to need to pray for all their souls to have reached Atua." Angie's reaction was the most bizarre as she held her hands above her head in prayer.

Yet even in the Artist's voice was a twinge of confusion and horror behind the usual perky tone she carried. That was honestly what worried Himiko the most as one of her dearest friends who seemed unshakeable in her persona, was clearly unnerved by something. Then came the scent of blood reaching her nose which began to nauseate the Ultimate Mage.

"*Gulp* T-that's… y-you mean… t-they are all…?" Himiko started to feel an urge to throw up.

*SLAM*

"N-NO ONE…! No one else must see this…!" Kirumi slammed the door quickly as she finally came to her senses.

"..." Ryoma was still silently judging whether or not he was losing his mind.

"H-how did this happen…?!" Himiko shook her arms furiously as she turned to face her friends.

"It must've been while we were sleep and our friends were put into those pods. I doubt they were made into sacrifices by Hope's Peak Academy so perhaps it was Monokuma who did it?" Angie offered her reasoning though judging by the dark smile she was still trying to keep it together.

"Ever optimistic monotheistic moonhead. But nope! This bear had nothing to do with these deaths!" As if the atmosphere wasn't already feeling oppressive, the sound of a jarring yet animated figure sounded dreadfully close.

"So you finally show yourself… rodent." Ryoma gave a dark smirk, as though he was looking forward to exact something on the bear.

"As if things couldn't get bad enough…" Himiko whimpered.

Monokuma appeared with a haughty tap of his feet and a strange sound effect to the left of the four Ultimates. The Maid, Artist, Magician, and Tennis Pro started at this tiny menace with varying levels of shock, composure, worry, and anger respectively. He folded his arms and started at Ryoma in particular with an expression of annoyance.

"I'm not a rodent I'm a bear! But yes siree, I had nothing to do with the Student Council's deaths. Rather, you could say they were the prototypes for what'll happen here soon enough. Upupupu..." Monokuma said coldly.

"Prototypes… a-are you intending for us to be killed?!" Kirumi asked furiously, grasping her skirt.

"CONTEXT! Wait for the context! Ahem! These Student Council Members were invited to come here to play the first-ever, bonafide Killing Game! They were given motives to instigate a slaughter of one another and they bought into it and killed themselves. It took a lot to clean up the blood in the hallways but we figured this room could stay as a thrilling reminder of the despair that it summoned." The bear reminisced.

"Despair…" Angie spoke with a neutral smile, not betraying whatever she was feeling at the moment.

"Yes despair! The bottomless pit of eternal torment, angst, fear, and sadness that is the bear's honey! It's irresistible and much more entertaining than the hope you and your classmates have been spewing."

"B-but… w-what do you mean by a motive… a-and what do you mean that they were the prototypes?" Himiko was clearly frightened but tried to gather her bravery.

"It's very simple. This bear thinks that the upcoming Graduation for Hope's Peak Academy will be boring and lifeless! Everyone tossing their caps, grabbing their diplomas, sent off on some car. With no drama, no tension, and no one developing as a character; it's all trivial, tepid, and tiresome! So we're going to give Hope's Peak Academy, and the world, a motive for you guys to struggle and be killed. Although it turns out that the Killing Game was over much too quickly to be of any hype. Luckily we've had a day since the deaths of the Student Council to kidnap you guys and three school years to plan newer and much more exciting endeavour in case the Killing Game was a bust." Monokuma explained.

"Only a day has passed since they've died…?" Ryoma asked, surprised and not at all relieved.

"It would explain why their corpses haven't begun to rot but rigor mortis has set in. Their bodies look as good as new. I've seen it before on my island as everyone says their farewells whenever someone dies in Atua's name." Angie explained.

"We have no way of confirming that though without a medical professional or a detective like Mikan or Saihara here with us though. It's possible you are lying to us Monokuma." Kirumi spoke a bit more calmly than she had earlier.

"I can guarantee they died recently at least toots! But enough about these minor characters, it's time to get onto you somewhat more major characters. You are not going to be put into a Killing Game but rather… an RPG-style Game with real-life stakes. Of course you can opt to kill one another if you'd like to instead but then I'd have to figure out what to do with the sleeping students and how to explain all this..." Monokuma appeared to be speaking as though he had wanted to talk about this information for a long time.

"An RPG…? Are you being serious?" Himiko actually exclaimed in surprise.

"I don't think DeepSea delivers those. What are RPGS Himiko?" Angie asked, intrigued.

"A role-playing-game… really Chiaki could explain them better but they are famous for having magic and dragons and legendary quests. They often have fantastic spells, creative worlds, unique characters, and lots of things to collect. That sort of stuff… Wait a minute, why are you saying we'll be put into one Monokuma?!" Himiko had begun to enjoy explaining RPGs to Angie before it occurred to her who had brought it up in the first place.

"There are some very strict rules to this RPG, which I like to call: Despair Dungeon Monokumas Test! The Monokubs' nefarious plot has awakened an army of Monokumas! It appears they are marching out of the basement of Hope's Peak! To save the world, the academy's alumni mobilize to investigate…" Monokuma spoke as though he was pitching the game to a company.

"So the Monokubs are in on this too…" Himiko pouted.

The Monokubs were a group of Monokuma-looking bears that appeared to be there for the purpose of helping to 'mentor' the Ultimates but most of the Ultimates found them to be pests. Monophanie, Monokid, Monosuke, Monodam, and Monotaro were their names and it appeared they were connected to this series of increasingly dangerous events.

"Are you trying to make this situation less serious than it actually is? Because it's not working and you are pissing me off…" Ryoma gave Monokuma another dark glare.

"Yet is it true that the Monokubs and the Monokumas are marching out of Hope's Peak right now as we speak?" Kirumi asked with a little more willingness to accept the strangeness of the explanation.

"Not exactly… but they are definitely in this building, lying in wait in the depths of the Despair Dungeon. You should be merciful I haven't unleashed the full force of them onto you and your classmates yet. Not even the fighters among you would last against their combined forces. Consider yourselves lucky I want to test your hope against the full force of despair…" Monokuma's eye appeared to flash a dangerous hue of red and he spoke with great threat.

By now the four Ultimates were justifiably unnerved and lost. What could be gathered thus far was some sort of game Monokuma was about to put them through that was done in the style of an RPG and involved facing off against Monokuma models that were apparently in much greater numbers than suspected. Furthermore, the Student Council had been killed in some sort of 'Killing Game' prior to their kidnapping and a day had passed since then that their corpses and the three classes had been locked up inside this strange, modified building to do this. It also implied that this was some sort of plot that had been in the making since the very first year they had all arrived as students to Hope's Peak Academy. Still, it appeared Monokuma wasn't backing down from giving any information or at the very least that Angie believed she had the right of way to ask,

"So someone had to build all of ya correct? Who was it?"

"Request denied! Although… if you really want to start suspecting one another why should I stop you? In fact I'll let you in on the biggest scandal in Hope's Peak Academy! The mastermind behind this game and the Killing Game is amongst all of you and want to see you fail!" Monokuma laughed sinisterly.

"N-no…! That can't be! No one had done anything suspicious!" Himiko looked in denial.

"It is a foolish rumor incited to cause discord in our ranks. I won't let it affect the priorities of saving our classmates or getting out of here." Kirumi huffed in disbelief.

"But if it's true then they might strike at us when we try to get through this…" Ryoma offered.

"That would make for an unfair game though wouldn't it? Atua says that if Monokuma really wants to evoke despair among us, he wouldn't allow such a game-breaking clause as a mastermind within our ranks interfering with our progress. Right? Right?" Angie looked very threatening for a change as she pointed at Monokuma.

Monokuma admittedly looked a bit taken aback by Angie's presence. Divine or not, Angie had a way of being very convincing and also somewhat of a manipulator in getting what she wanted. For the better of Kirumi and Ryoma's consciences, Angie appeared to be using it to aid not just herself but for the rest of them as well to keep Monokuma from allowing for the chance of a backstab. Himiko on the other hand appeared nervous about Monokuma's words and was looking deep in thought over what he said and didn't seem to pay attention to Angie. Monokuma finally replied after clearing his throat,

"F-fine… for Atua's bald head I'll make certain that the mastermind won't interfere with your direct progress throughout Despair Dungeon… But isn't it so exciting to imagine that Ultimate Despair is sleeping within one of the classrooms as we speak and you have the chance to kill them and end the game right now?"

"Ultimate Despair? Is that a codename for the Mastermind…?" Ryoma inquired.

"Must be considering Atua knows we are all students of Hope and this situation is designed to create Despair!" Angie puffed her cheeks as she seemed sure of herself.

"Puhuhu… so maybe you should take them out before you start to wanna join them." Monokuma attempted to play mind games.

"I refuse to acknowledge that request Monokuma. Our classmates are our friends and to turn my back against them because of some idle rumor is unbefitting of the Ultimate Maid." Kirumi reasserted herself.

"Kirumi's right… these Ultimates I've spent three years with have a whole life ahead of them and haven't done the things I've done. They've even gone out of their way to tell me, someone who thought his life and talent were rendered meaningless, to say I can live on with new memories and new conviction. I won't turn my back on them because of some robotic teddy bear." Ryoma gave a thumbs up to Angie and Kirumi who smiled in return.

Ryoma's sincere and sweet words got Himiko to look much less doubtful and turn to him in admiration. She jumped up excitedly, her hat flying up into the air.

"Nyeh! He's right! RPG or not, I will do it with my friends because they are not meaningless!" The Ultimate Magician cheered.

"So divine! Our belief in our friends will save them! So do not think you'll sway our opinion Monokuma." Angie waved her arms in glee.

Monokuma glared at them with noticeable severity and even outright hatred. He approached the door that led to the Student Council's and with surprising speed, unsheathed his claws and cut through the door with immense strength, soon breaking it entirely open. This made Himiko hide behind Angie's body and Angie stepping forward with her arms spread wide in a defensive stance. Monokuma, apparently satisfied with such a deed, turned to the Ultimates in menacing fashion.

"You can say you have all the hope and care and love for your friends but it didn't save the Student Council members who were preaching the same thing! Do you four know why you all were chosen to begin with? Because out of your class, you four are the most minor of the minor! Your deaths wouldn't bring nearly as much despair as if someone like Kaede or Kaito or Saihara were to perish! Who'd mourn the goody-good perfect maid who just does requests? Who'd mourn the nut-job who manipulates 'disciples' and sucks out blood like a vampire? Who'd mourn the lazy loli who constantly rants about magic? Who'd mourn the former murderer and prisoner who distances himself from hope? NOBODY! All your friends lives are resting in you four minor character hands. Think about how scared they would be if there were wide awake!" Monokuma appeared to be scolding them with a harsh tone.

Only Ryoma and Himiko looked particularly shaken by Monokuma's words. Kirumi felt as though she knew her place as the Ultimate Maid in regards to her classmates and while she did do her best to open up and be a bit more sociable, she was bound by her Talent and obligations to her masters to be an individual capable of offering her own advice and perspectives to the issues her students were facing. She did much more than just requests for the class and people like Togami, Celeste, Peko, Hifumi, and others could vouch for her in this regard. Furthermore, Monokuma appeared to be a creature designed to confuse, harm, and be cruel to others and it was valuable for her to not let his propaganda get to her. Angie on the other hand just didn't appear to be phased at all.

"Atua thinks you should get on with explaining the rules already." She remarked as she pointed her paintbrush at him and winked dangerously at Monokuma.

"True, true. Mind games aren't as unbearable as this Despair Dungeon will be. So I welcome all of you to Despair Dungeon Monokuma's Test Version 2.53! There are 50 floors you'll have to go through until you face the Monokuma boss and between then and now are different enemies of varying levels of power and attributes. To face against them, you'll have to acquire skills and weapons and hone both of them to maximum efficiency to match the rising odds. Luckily, we've had a lot of testing to get to this version and so we've made some nifty changes to the system as a whole." Monokuma began.

"Changes…?" Ryoma seemed to regain his composure as he asked Monokuma about the thing he mentioned.

"First off! Individuality! Our testers complained there wasn't much distinction between the characters besides base stats and types of characters. So we made each character have a unique weapon and armor as well as a unique Awakening skill with various effects. Combat is performed in battle with a series of predetermined skills that you can obtain with enough Talent Fragments earned from the Talent Development Plan mini-game/fanservice! This mode can be found in the "Cafeteria" while all of your equipment is found in the 'Armory' room."

"Explains the medieval theme somewhat. Then what of these skills? What can we do exactly cause I can't imagine we would be able to do things like conjure fireballs or teleport." Kirumi showed some rare experience with video games.

"Well once you are down in the floors of Despair Dungeon, you'll find that you can use a variety of skills that you've obtained through Talent Development Plan. Logic be damned when you got technology that'd be the envy of live-action-role-players everywhere! From physical skills that can deal immense solo damage to supportive skills that heal, revive, or cure conditions, you'll find a lot of abilities and builds are possible. Plus, if you are in battle long enough, you can Awaken! Awakened skills, like I've mentioned, are revised to unleash the true might of each respective Ultimates' talent and possess a variety of effects, from a super strong offensive attack to some powerful buffs that can shift the momentum in your favor. Ultimately the goal in battles is to reduce the enemies health to 0 and you gain gold and loot from them. Loot can be used to bear-back-buff your equipment but with the nuances of each character having unique weapons and armor, only head, foot, and talisman pieces of equipment can be buffed and passed around. Luckily, to offset this, all equipment can be upgraded up to five times and an S and U Ticket can be used to buff it for free one or two levels respectively. Be selfish and use them on one party member to make them OP or make a more versatile team by spreading the love, it's all up to you. Everyone levels up with each floor completion too to help keep things balanced and focus more on customization." Monokuma explained in a rather long-winded fashion.

Noticeably, Angie appeared to have entered another meditative position, as if to take all this information in slowly and calmly. Kirumi was also taking notes in a notepad she often brought with her to fill out requests she was given while Ryoma and Himiko looked slightly bored. Monokuma smirked as he spoke a much more concerning line,

"Fortunately for you guys, gold can be used to wake up some of your sleeping beauties and uglies."

"Really?!" Himiko and Ryoma both inquired in shock at the same time.

"You bet. In the 'Homeroom' there's the Ultimate Death Card Machine which yields the cards of all your classmates. These cards are what can be inserted into the slots in each classroom to forcibly awaken that specific student from their pod and increase your party and variety. You can spin the wheel for 100 Gold a piece which will increase per every 10 floors, making it more difficult to get your friends. But face it, considering I've set everyone to an average power level instead of giving them different ranks of power levels, you won't need to worry about any Ultimate outshining the other. However… as a consequence, you can only roll up to four times per floor. Upupupu." Monokuma snickered.

"T-that's… how dare you! Why can't we bring more people back?!" Himiko looked infuriated and Kirumi had to hold Ryoma back from tearing into the bear.

"Because that'd be OBVIOUSLY broken! You'd all try to storm in at once and overpower the poor creatures. Granted there's already a party of four members per quest limit but there certain clauses where back-up members can come to pitch in. I don't feel like explaining those right now. Besides, it'll be so thrilling to see who you decide to bring back and you wind up getting as new friends…." Monokuma grinned.

"Anything more to share then Monokuma?" Angie seemed to accept this limitation more easily.

"In terms of determining your stats and power, each of you is a different type of character who specializes in certain attributes. Strength Type means you hit hard, run hard, play hard, and probably shit hard too. Intelligence Type means you can blast foes with a variety of skills for longer periods of time but it doesn't necessarily mean you have a high I.Q. Variety types are versatile, middle-of-the-road, non-specialists. Ryoma, as the Ultimate Mafia Murderer-"

"..." Ryoma's dark stare towards Monokuma was just as menacing as Angie's usual form of intimidation.

"*Cough* I-I mean Ultimate Tennis Pro means you are a Strength type, being athletic and fast and all that. Kirumi, you are wise beyond your years and kind of more talented than half of the other Ultimates. You are an Intelligence type. And ironically, Himiko and Angie are both the Variety types because you are two weird little girls." Monokuma taunted them as he classified them.

"I don't wanna hear that from you…" Himiko pouted.

"And what of these stats?" Kirumi asked, keeping her cool rather well against Monokuma's coy demeanor.

"Well there's Influence which is basically your HP. Don't let it fall to 0 or you might die. Focus is your MP and allows you to use your skills as long as you have sufficient enough Focus for the skill. Strength is so obvious it'd be unBEARable to explain it to you. Defense is equally obvious as it lowers damage taken. Intelligence improves your skill-set and skill power. Fortitude has two nuances in that it reduces skill damage and decreases success rates of status ailments that enemies might try to place upon you. Agility is simultaneously how quickly you can act before your rivals and how evasive you can be. Luck could probably be explained by Naegi and Nagito so wait and ask them when they wake up." Monokuma started to pace around them out of boredom.

"So what of the other rooms then? And the elevator?"

"I'm sure that you all know what a cafeteria is. It's where you get into food fights and is the janitor's worst nightmare. Point is, it has enough food and more to keep you all sustained throughout this fight between hope and despair. It also houses the Talent Development Plan minigame where you can play to your heart's content to power-up. Homeroom serves as your living quarters with enough shared rooms for 40 students. The elevator isn't available yet but it's purpose will become clear if you read the sign in front of it carefully. There's also more rooms beyond that so keep your eyes peeled!" Monokuma chuckled.

"40 students… Atua is thinking the math is off." Angie seemed a bit confused.

"But doesn't that mean we won't be able to wake everyone up…? If there's only 50 floors and that clause is in place… we'd be only able to wake up 20 other students. There's at least 47 of us in total too." Himiko grimaced.

"That must imply there's 50 more floors to this that Monokuma is attempting to hide." Kirumi pointed out.

"... Dammit! I got carried away! Fine, fine, so there are actually 100… but you'd be miraculous to even get past the base 50! Now I'm about ready to get this despair-inducing show on the road… any more questions to ask me kiddies?" Monokuma tried to play it cool, staring at the kids with a demented glee.

The four Ultimates of the 53rd class were feeling a rush of different emotions. The knowledge of 100 floors that needed to be conquered, the need to power themselves up and that they were more like video game characters than human beings, this strange situation and the loss of the Student Council, they had to channel a lot of willpower already to not succumb to panic or sadness. Each of them currently had different motives powering their drive to not crack under pressure. Kirumi's motive was her selfless devotion, Ryoma's was his loyalty to what his friends had done for him, Angie's motive was Atua's guidance and the importance of awakening her friends, and Himiko's shared similar motives with all three of them but she also was a bit curious about the RPG elements. Each of them felt they were in for something trying, difficult, and dangerous but that it would be something worthwhile if it meant they could save their friends and stop the Masterminds scheme. Himiko was the first to speak up,

"N-no… we're confident we got all the answers we need."

"Upupupu. Confidence is so stimulating… to see it broken down so quickly by the rush of despair and turn INTO despair is such a priceless experience! I can't wait to see it. You may find some other surprises in store for you if you keep on looking but fundamentally, you'll need to get stronger first. Then you can face me and the Despair Dungeon." Monokuma turned his back on the Ultimates before disappearing from sight.

A silence of unusual natures followed. It was a silence of confusion, of worry, of fear, but also of hope, resolution, and knowing what must be done. Kirumi, someone who was instinctive in these kinds of silences, made the first comment.

"It appears this Despair Dungeon and situation we've found ourselves in is deathly serious." She determined.

"Very spooky… but then, there really is a way to bring our friends back?" Himiko asked, slightly hopeful.

"Yes, it seems like it. Though it makes the mastermind's motives even more unpredictable. They want 'despair' but yet they are giving us opportunities to save ourselves. Granted there's nothing we can do for the Student Council." Ryoma looked over to the exposed room with regret.

"Well we can pray for their spirits to be lifted safely to Atua's haven. But, but, would this mean that the Despair Dungeon is truly dangerous if Monokuma is making us venture forth there?" Angie offered somewhat reasonably.

"I can't really imagine how it was feasible and done though… unless Hope's Peak Academy truly is responsible for part of this." Ryoma countered in a soft tone.

"I don't believe they are but perhaps the Mastermind and potential accomplices are within the higher division of the Academy. They've gone rogue and created this absurd situation to get Hope's Peak Academy to succumb to their demands. Furthermore if this plan was in the making for a very long time, this building could've been constructed secretly to fit this exact scenario and we've been taken there." Kirumi theorized tensely.

"Why an RPG? Wouldn't that just be childish?" Himiko asked.

"A demented sense of humor? A metaphor for our quest to save our friends? Frankly I can care less about why the Mastermind has chosen this method. Then all we have to do for now is identify the rest of the situation and go from there I believe." Ryoma muttered with determination.

"But we can only bring back four people at a time. Who do we bring back…?" Himiko asked.

"Nyahahaha! I have some ideas! We should bring back one of the Detectives first and foremost! Kyoko and Shuichi's intellect could help us uncover the truth much sooner! Then our dearest friends followed by everyone else. Isn't such a plan divine?" Angie raised her arm in excitement as she offered her idea.

"Bringing back our class representative would be favorable as well but I feel that my obligations to the student body means I shouldn't simply prioritize my class over the others." Kirumi spoke honestly.

Angie looked actually a bit dubious at this, considering her usual expressions. The look she gave to Kirumi was completely unlike what what Himiko or Ryoma had seen from her.

"You say that but, would that really be the best move? Don't you want to see your beloved friends all awake? Himiko would very much like Tenko to be awake after all." Angie swayed to and fro as she questioned Kirumi.

"Y-yeah but… there's a lot of people waiting to be asleep and if we were to wake up everyone WE knew. It'd make a bad impression on the others. Besides Tenko would probably ask for us to wake up all the girls first anyway." Himiko replied, flustered at Angie's support.

"And there's other people in the other classes who could come in handy in an RPG situation. Mikan with her nursing, Sakura with her fighting, Chiaki with her gaming experience, Nekomaru in training ourselves… it's important for us to not be so one-sided." Ryoma reminded the Artist.

"... Alright. Atua is a bit dejected but I suppose that you raise a good point. Ideally though we should probably finish up our investigation and then prepare for this RPG at once." Angie abandoned her argument to the other's relief.

"I'll go investigate the Armory." Kirumi curtsied gracefully before heading off to her first task of what'd likely be a series of many tasks.

"I think you two should cover the Homeroom area. I'll check the Elevator." Ryoma said as he sprinted over to the Elevator.

Part of him was looking for an excuse to separate himself from Angie and her somewhat annoying persistence at getting her way. She was one of his classmates yes but he and her barely interacted throughout the school year and talking to her now, she acted like she knew him thoroughly which was more unsettling than annoying. Still, her insight and her ability to get things done and organized would probably be of value as long as he, Kirumi, and Himiko were able to get her to rein in some of her divine ambitions. Himiko was surprisingly level-headed and even sweet, taking the situation much better than she would've at the beginning of the year. More importantly to Ryoma was her ability to keep Angie less overzealous than she needed to be, her energy, and her knowledge of RPGS. Still, he couldn't help but feel bad about her wanting Tenko to wake up as he was beginning to feel that way for Hajime. _I have to know what happened to him,_ he thought. Kirumi was the only one that Ryoma didn't feel worried about as she was one of the most responsible, compassionate, capable people that he had ever met. Even if she was having insecurities or doubts about the situation, she was the kind of person who could persevere through it and not show fear. As for himself…

"I've still got a ways to go but now's a good place to start…" The Tennis Pro said as he read the sign that was indeed placed in front of the elevator.

' _This Elevator is part of a network of elevators throughout the Dungeon. Get to that specific floor and activate the Elevator with a push of the button and you'll be able to use it whenever you'd like. You'll also be able to take this Elevator down to any floor with a corresponding Elevator. Good luck getting to those Elevators though… you'll need it adventurers. Upupupupu.'_

"... Challenge accepted." Ryoma spoke with hope.

Dungeon of Infinite Hope Prologue: COMPLETE!

4 Ultimates are awake.


	2. Floors 1-10 Daily Life

Dangan Ronpa: Dungeon of Infinite Hope

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 1: Because Atua Says So

From what could be gathered from the Homeroom area, Angie and Himiko found there was a surprising number of rooms and even space. There were a variety of dorm rooms, with 6 beds per room, and 8 rooms in total. The dorm rooms in question seemed to be divided into two sides, with boys and girls side and 4 rooms were on each side of the hallway. The bedrooms were extraordinarily simple with a few bunk-beds, closet space, dressers and lamps, ceiling fans, and not much else. There was also a Recreational Room of impressive size with things like billiards, pool table, magazine racks, sofas, tables, vending machines, and the like for comfort. It alarmingly mirrored the one in the actual Hope's Peak Academy building. A Laundry Room provided the means for the Ultimates to clean their clothing properly throughout the duration of this strange situation with washing machines and dryers. There was also strangely enough a mysterious looking room called the 'Room of Whatever Ya Need'. It had some sort of monitor outside with a keyboard but the room it led to appeared empty.

"Nyeh… this looks like some kind of trap." Himiko stared at it suspiciously.

"Monokuma! Monokuma! Atua requests your presence!" Angie took a more proactive approach.

Monokuma appeared next to the two Variety-Type girls with a begrudging demeanor.

"I should've known you'd ask about this one. This is a state of the art room that changes depending on the Ultimate in question. It unlocks Talent Labs in which you can use to harness your talents further or spend some quality time in or try to have some PDA's in. Everything from pools to dojos to sports arenas to rooms for recreational talents. Got it toots?" He didn't even bother waiting for either girl to ask the proper question before explaining what it was.

"How does that even work though? Hope's Peak Academy doesn't have the same level of magic that I do to change rooms on the fly…" Himiko scratched her head.

"Well Hope's Peak Academy does have an Inventor and Mechanic right? Surely they could answer you once they wake up! Who's to also say the school's funding can't make a room where any of your talents could flourish further?" Monokuma winked at the two girls.

"True, an art lab would make it much easier for me to make my divine creations." Angie thought positively.

"Is there a catch to using this room though?" Himiko questioned the bear a bit more severely.

"Well once someone selects which Talent Lab to turn the Room of Whatever Ya Want into, the room will turn into that room but since there's a greater variety of Talent Labs, should someone make a change while someone is using their Talent Lab, they'll end up swept away and put into 'storage' with the other Talent Labs. Best you don't get pranked! Puhuhu!" Monokuma snickered.

Such an answer had a strong implication about this building, that if it really was Hope's Peak Academy then alterations were made and there may have been some kind of strange network of underground areas where these Talent Labs were being held. Or perhaps Kirumi's earlier notions about this building being an entirely separate one with a very specific design to supply these Talent Labs that had been prepared a great deal of time in advance was true. None of them had heard of an Ultimate Architect but surely with three years and perhaps hiring some employees in building who didn't know any better or would somehow relate to 'Despair', making this room possible in real life to exist. Admittedly, having a Talent Lab for her to perform magic for her friends might be good in this situation since usually it took a lot of collaboration and volunteers to set up her magic shows and get all the right tools needed. _Although I wonder why they'd also want us to keep honing our talents here,_ the Magician thought bewildered.

"So, so we can get the Talent Labs for me, Ryoma, Kirumi, and Himiko?" Angie asked, pulling out her paintbrush again.

"You got it toots! More will be unlocked as you awaken classmates with those respective talents. Oh, except for the Lucky Ultimates, Usami and Hajime. Usami because she's my lousy sister and doesn't have a Talent and the Hajime because he's got… 'talent' but just not the kind you make a Talent Lab for. Lucky Students aren't special enough to get a Talent Lab either because what would even put in there? Lottery machines? We already have a Gambler Talent Lab for that! Now are we all done here? This bear's got some errands to run." Monokuma tapped his wrist to emphasize his impatience.

"You say Hajime has a talent right but… how? I thought he was a Reserve Course student like Ryoma said." Himiko asked.

"Well not necessarily…" Angie shrugged her shoulders much to Himiko's surprise.

"Eh? You know something?"

"I'll tell you when our nosy bear isn't around. You may go now Monokuma." Angie ordered.

Monokuma looked at the two girls, or namely Angie perhaps, with a sudden interest. He appeared to be very pleased about something as he pressed his hands together and said,

"Oh you are a sneaky one indeed… this will be wonderful to watch."

He then disappeared to the Magician's greater confusion and the Artist's pleasure.

"W-wait a minute Angie. What do you know about Hajime and his talent?" Himiko asked.

"I've met that individual in the pod before in the Music Room while I was decorating it to give it a more harmonious touch. He did not really believe in Atua but he seemed of an unusual nature, remarking about things being boring and speaking as though he was of a unique status. I never quite got his name but if Ryoma and the others believe it is Hajime then it really must be Hajime! Nyahaha!" Angie giggled.

"You think the 'unusual nature' and 'unique status' has something to do with his talent?" Himiko questioned.

"I don't know, I don't know. But the possibility is there and if the Mastermind brought Hajime to capitalize on it, then it must be true. Atua's deductions are never wrong." Angie said as she appeared to pray.

"You'd think Atua would be an Ultimate Detective the way you praise his talent…" Himiko muttered.

"He is both a creative force and a guiding parent. I'll always be thankful to hear His voice." Angie said, rubbing herself.

"When did you first encounter Atua Angie…?" Himiko suddenly took a slightly serious expression.

Truthfully it was a question Angie never seemed capable of answering. She would always dance her way around the question with the skillful wordplay of someone like Togami or Kirigiri. Her entire talent seemed to have been born because Atua was always with her and blessed her from time to time but how was that really possible? Compared to Himiko's 'magic' which stemmed from a more feasible belief with magical acts being performed many times in the past, far fewer instances of a god's divine intervention or possession existed. Angie was one of Himiko's closest friends, supporting her in all of her magic shows and bringing her out of her shell but she was a mystery in more ways than one. Three years came and were going and the Ultimate Artist seemed to be in a world of her own with no answers to it. Himiko decided to try to at least understand her friend better before they parted ways after Graduation. Unfortunately, Angie only seemed to smile at Himiko and gave a vague answer,

"The day I met Atua was the day I became the Ultimate Artist. His presence imbued me with the power to create divine pieces of art. I'll never forget it."

"How did it happen?"

"I heard His voice call out to me, enlightening my eyes to my new role as an oracle, and the artistry flowed out as part of His glory. Ever since then Atua has been my guide and the island listens to my words." Angie rubbed herself in a much less sensual way and more familial way as she reflected happily.

Loneliness. That was the one clue most people gathered from Angie's stories and words that seemed to hint at her true motivations for wanting people to believe in her god. The theory that Angie had used Atua to cope with loneliness in some sort of fashion or to ensure she always had company around with her. It was difficult to determine how much of it was true that it was a charade or that it actually had been something fantastical. There were other cases at Hope's Peak Academy to support Angie's identity being the truth, such as crazy things happening to Nagito because of his luck and Sonia's kingdom of Novoselic possessing a lot of strange traditions and customs. Himiko kept this in mind when Saihara brought it up to her once upon a time but she didn't really think it was that big of a detail. It wasn't going to affect how she and Angie were friends after all. If the Ultimate Artist was lonely, then Himiko would be there for her as she'd wish for herself on hard days where people kept calling her a 'magician' rather than a mage.

"Sounds like a pretty intense experience… Um, so what were you like before then? Did you live on the island without knowing about Atua?"

"Umm… Atua had always been a part of the island. He created the beaches, the jungles, the homes, and the traditions. He does tell me that DeepSea wasn't His own creation though." Angie surprisingly gave a slight bit of context as she swayed to and fro.

"DeepSea is not like the Magic Castle is it? Some weird conspiracy?" Himiko referred to a magic lover's society that had made the true existence of magic invisible to the eyes of the public.

"It's a website like any other Himiko. Anyways, we should go check on Kirumi and Ryoma don't you think? Byeonara!" Angie cut the conversation short and headed for where Kirumi and Ryoma were searching.

Himiko was actually not too disappointed in Angie's quick departure as Angie actually seemed to give a bit more context to her origins. If Atua was a part of Angie's island from the beginning, then it must've meant it wasn't a creation of Angie's own imagination. _Though that's really not something I should be thinking as the Ultimate Mage,_ Himiko thought to herself embarrassed. On the other hand, Himiko realized she hadn't asked Angie why she had neglected to tell Ryoma that they had had met this 'new' Hajime. Did Angie know more about Hajime's presence than the rest of them did and didn't want to tell them? Was that what Monokuma was so glad about, that Angie seemed to be up to something that would be good for him? Then there was what happened to the Student Council... All this thinking and mystery truly stressed Himiko out and for a moment she felt slightly teary-eyed. The young Mage slowly followed after Angie who had clearly went down into the main hallway.

Kirumi's inspection of the Armory yielded some fascinating results. The armory had stone flooring yet unusual black and white-striped walls as though it was some kind of wallpaper put up and gave the unfortunate aesthetic that Monokuma possessed. There was a forge, much like that of a medieval castle or RPG, complete with a fireplace and tools needed to stoke the fire as well as shape and adjust weapons. What appeared to be an empty treasure chest currently lay against the wall, perhaps as a means to hold materials. On the left side of the room was a wall lined with what looked like bank vaults with the names of all those captive inside this building on each vault. Four of them were open and presumably contained some sort of equipment inside for Himiko, Angie, Ryoma, and Kirumi herself. Kirumi had pulled out what looked like a shield of genuine steel with a gorgeous gold lining and a black insignia of her former high school Milky Way. There was also a broom with a pure steel handle and a similar golden embroidery that would likely make it used as a baton or staff-styled weapon. The design truly befitted the Ultimate Maid yet it also was very unnatural in terms of being something authorized by Hope's Peak Academy to be created. _It's likely the Mastermind and his allies crafted all these tools or perhaps repurposed existing objects into this state,_ Kirumi thought as she set her weapons back within the vault. Kirumi considered herself a much more logical and practical person than someone who would prioritize style and material worth. The first thing she would ask her masters after all was what would best make them comfortable, not what would look best. So as elegant as these weapons were, Kirumi couldn't appreciate them because of their appearance and the reason they were here to begin with.

"Find anything Kirumi?" Ryoma's gruff voice could be heard at the entrance to the Armory.

Kirumi frowned as she quickly tried to gather her thoughts to say something cohesive and concrete about what she had discovered to Ryoma. She felt Ryoma was someone she couldn't really disappoint and that in this situation she had to be twice as reliable if they were to wake up their friends. Folding her hands onto her lap, she faced Ryoma.

"I've found the so-called weapons and equipment pieces Monokuma intends for us to use in the Despair Dungeon. Mine appears to be some sort of valkyrie-esque gear with a steel broom and steel shield. I have yet to see what you, Himiko, and Angie have received." The Maid explained.

"Knowing Monokuma's sense of humor it'll probably be a tennis racket… I appreciate tennis more than I have in a long time but it's still not my cup of tea yet. Himiko might have some staff and cape for magical spells and Angie's I'm not sure about. I hope it's not Atua or something." Ryoma sighed as he fiddled around with his candy cigarette.

"I doubt a God could be fit into these vaults…" Kirumi joked in a rare fashion for herself.

"Heh… true. And what are those capsule machines over there?" Ryoma asked with a small smile, amused by Kirumi's joke.

Kirumi turned to face the other elephant in the room. Three capsule machines spiffily named 'Monomono Machines'. There were three versions to be exact. The Ultimate Death Card Machine, the Ultimate Death Extras Machine, and the Ultimate Death MonoMono Machine. The differences in the three machines was in the display screen that each of them showed. The Death Card Machine showed the three different classes of Ultimates trapped within the Academy, the Death Extras Machine seemed to show a slot machine with a variety of different symbols on it, and the MonoMono Machine showed an array of different gifts on it. They all had the same dispenser and place to insert gold in which implied that any money found in the Dungeon would be used here. The question is what were each of these machine's purposes?

"The Death Card Machine appears to be the one that will let us free four of our friends per floor. I suspect that it'll do this by dispensing each student's card that can trigger the card readers in the classrooms we found." Kirumi noted as she and Ryoma approached the Machines for a closer look.

"The Death Extra Machine seems to have some weird rubbish according to the side… 'Color Palettes', 'Costumes', 'Music', 'S and U Tickets'..." Ryoma raised an eyebrow of displeasure.

"Monokuma is truly intent for this situation to be like a video game. A gross understatement considering the corpses in the Student Council Room."

"Lastly this Monomono Machine appears to have a lot of gifts and knick knacks that can be used to our pleasure. Things like snacks, toys, and collectibles. At the very least it'll be a bit smoother than prison gambling…" Ryoma sighed.

"Yah-hah! Kirumi, Ryoma! Is this the fabled Armory?" Angie's singsong ballad rang out through the air.

Ryoma and Kirumi politely turned to face Angie and greet her as the Artist ran toward them. Though they couldn't ignore the fact Himiko wasn't with her or right behind her.

"Did Himiko stay in the Homeroom area to rest?" Kirumi asked a more logical question rather than let her growing worry take hold of her emotions.

"Eh? Oh dear. I thought she was right behind me. I'm sure she'll join up with us shortly. Are these the machines that will free our friends?" Angie asked.

"One of them is. The others seem a bit random. Also it appears that this Death Extras Machine can only be used once per floor but you can get up to five prizes at a time." Ryoma noted.

"And these vaults are where the weapons are housed?"

Kirumi simply nodded. Angie looked intrigued as she wandered over to her Vault and soon pulled out a oversized paintbrush and something that looked exactly like the coat she wearing right now. Perhaps it was meant to be used as some sort of blunt instrument in the Dungeon but it looked rather impractical save for the strap on it that allowed Angie to carry it on her back. The coat being the same as what Angie was wearing now (Except a Monokuma eye insignia being on the back rather than her All Kinds of Stuff High School symbol) got Ryoma and Kirumi's attention and the two of them separated to check on Ryoma's and Himiko's vaults respectively. Ryoma found that his tennis racket and a set of tennis balls was indeed inside the Vault (Though he was very relieved to not have anything prison-related inside) and another copy of the hat he always wore, yet with the similar Monokuma eye insignia design instead of the tennis rackets . Kirumi found that Himiko had a wooden staff of a fairly basic but still folkloric design and a magnificent cape like that a true magician would wear. Both of them seemed bothered by the fact Angie and Ryoma's 'armor' appeared to just be their typical clothing.

"I don't know if Monokuma is being lazy or he's trying to sabotage us by giving us the same pieces of clothing we already own…" Ryoma muttered aloud.

"Maybe they are blessed with Atua's divinity! Or Himiko's magic! Or some sort of special protective material." Angie offered as she overheard the two of them voice their concerns.

"Hmm… the fabric does appear to be a bit different from what you are wearing now Ryoma. It might be best to put it on when we go into the Dungeon. Same with your coat Angie." Kirumi elaborated.

"Hmm… still I wonder why Himiko and Kirumi have unique pieces of armor? Is it because they don't normally wear things that'd be associated with defense in RPGS?" Ryoma, out of his element, offered a possibility.

"But Himiko's hat-"

"Himiko always wears a cape when she performs one of her magic shows. It's like Atua has crafted her a warm blanket to keep her comfortable whenever she's performing a difficult trick. Kirumi's shield may also be because she guards her masters with her life." Angie puffed her cheeks as she interrupted Kirumi gave her interpretation of the reasons why.

"I suppose that makes logical sense. How would the Mastermind know us so well though to do something along these lines? To craft all these specific items? They'd have to work with fabric, machinery, crafting, game design, architecture and contain considerable influence…" Kirumi ran down the list with puzzled disbelief.

"Well… maybe the Mastermind already is skilled with one of those areas and recruited accomplices to help them with the others. Especially if they had the whole school term to plan this." Angie pointed cheekily at Kirumi but her tone was dangerously forward.

"What exactly are you saying Angie…?" Ryoma questioned.

"Tsumugi works with fabric in her cosplays, Junko wears many different kinds of fabric and would know what they were, Ibuki sews her own clothing. Machinery could be covered by Miu, Chihiro, and Kazuichi easily. Hifumi could easily construct some tools and props. Game design could apply to someone who's played many games like Chiaki or Celestia. Sonia, Fuyuhiko and Togami have the most influence out of all of the Ultimates or perhaps it's more of a fan-based influence like Sayaka and her Sayakers. Atua says those are prime suspects based on your deductions Kirumi." Atua's expression took a dark aura.

Kirumi and Ryoma felt bothered by how serious Angie had just suddenly become and that she was making conspiracy theories about who the Mastermind was based on Monokuma's information about the Mastermind being among their ranks. It wasn't wrong to maybe start having some ideas to narrow down the suspect pool but they were the only four people awake. Was Angie implying that there might've been people that shouldn't be woken up or was she trying to promote some agenda of her logic being fundamentally sound and correct over others? While her advice was definitely intended to be taken into consideration, it was dangerous to let someone of Angie's religious nature have the primary say in things. Not that her beliefs were wrong but the way she went about using the word of Atua as a sort of 'points system' as she put it made it seem skewed and selfish. Ryoma was more prone to standing up for others and thus he spoke first,

"You're forgetting that the Mastermind also would've had to get the Student Council to slaughter one another. Who knows how much planning and the like went with that, let alone the smoking gun that made them participate in that. I don't think many of us knew the Student Council members by name or saw them often enough to be able to break them down into 'despair' as the bear put it. Could any of us really have been able to sway them than much?"

"Mmm… that's true. But if the Mastermind realllllly is one of us then wouldn't that mean maybe someone did know the Student Council well enough to be able to manipulate them? Gather their sins, expose them, and force them to start making sacrifices out of one another to find salvation? I do believe some of us wouldn't be so cruel and unkind to commit such a travesty but who's to say that's the whole truth? If someone does look suspicious as the Mastermind, Atua thinks it's only reasonable to suspect them until proven innocent. Don'tcha think?" Angie's expression softened but it didn't reassure the Tennis Pro or the Maid of the messages she said.

"It's a bit more hopeful on our end to believe in our fellow Ultimates considering we have all been forced to go through this situation. Mastermind or not, I say we should prioritize waking our classmates before trying to pinpoint the culprit." Kirumi put her foot down on what Angie was trying to do.

"Mmm… true. Atua is missing his disciples greatly and knows that they are the most important people in our school lives. Still, I'm hoping we can wake up Kirigiri and or Shuichi soon. Their Ultimate Detective skills could help with finding the answers to all these mysteries."

Ryoma looked baffled by this. Angie seemed to be saying she simply wanted to wake up one of the Ultimate Detectives to hopefully start finding out whodunnit, repeating her hopes from earlier. Yet she had gone about it in a very passive-aggressive way and made it seem like she already had a whole list of suspects in mind. More than likely she had suspicions of her own but she was at least admitting that it was more important to focus on getting the other Ultimates awake. It just showed her intense ambition as an Ultimate and as the person who 'heard' Atua. _She's really going for these power grabs early,_ Ryoma groaned mentally as he put a hand to his head, _how annoying._ Although in retrospect, having Kirigiri or Shuichi around would do well to help curb such power grabs and maintain a neutral and calm environment. Both of them were different in personality but equally capable in providing balance in a hectic group of Ultimates, Kirigiri through her solemn wisdom and analytical nature with Shuichi doing so through his humble demeanor and growing confidence. Before Kirumi could offer words of her own, Angie seemed to notice something. Based on her next words and it was clear that 'something' was Himiko entering the room,

"Ah! Himiko! Welcome!"

Himiko had her arms folded around her tiny form as though she was cold and upon closer inspection, her eyes were watery and red. It appeared she had been crying which immediately got Angie to gasp in concern and worry. As ambitious as the Ultimate Artist was, Ryoma did believe her friendship with Himiko was genuine and not a simple grab to have a loyal disciple. Kirumi was the first to come to Himiko's aid, her maternal instincts as a maid kicking in, and pulled out a handkerchief for Himiko.

"Himiko is there something the matter…?" She asked.

"... *Sob* T-thank you K-Kirumi… it's just that… so much is happening and I-I can't really handle it well… I mean a whole group of students… a-a whole class just like us… *sniff* DIED! T-they're all gone… and never coming back… Resurrection magic is forbidden and… *sob* we could end up like them…" Himiko wailed as she blew her nose.

It was clear she was talking about the Student Council but the other three Ultimates wondered if Himiko actually went to see the bodies for herself and that was what brought about such an intense emotional reaction. Even without that possibility, it was plain to see that Himiko's will which had grown so immensely over the semester was wearing down. She couldn't keep a brave face or a distant feeling of being a bystander any longer. It didn't help that one of the Student Council Members looked to be about Himiko's size and demeanor, very tiny with a whimsical costume. Predictably, Angie offered some advice but in a unique way,

"Fear not Himiko. Atua is always watching over us and assures that tragedy won't happen to us. We have the means to defy such a fate after all. But if it'd make you feel better, why don't we perform a funeral service for the Student Council at some point so they can reach Atua?"

"Y-you mean bury them…?" Himiko did seem to like the idea as she cried.

"I don't really think there's a proper place to bury them in here but we could probably cremate them using the forge." Ryoma found himself agreeing to the idea.

He had very dark and very fresh memories of the last funeral he attended, the one in which the people he cared about most had been lost and killed. In particular someone he loved very dear had died far too young… Yet he knew Angie's idea was actually mature and sensible in this context as it was clear already that Monokuma desecrated the Student Body's corpses in a savage way. She was offering something that was one of her most blessed abilities beyond being an artist, the opportunity to properly send off the deceased students and allow them to rest in peace. Barring whether Atua was real or not, he did believe Angie knew enough about religion that she could hold a funeral service and do something to give the Student Council members some closure. Kirumi seemed slightly uneasy with the idea but said nothing as Angie responded,

"True, we don't have an ocean to do it the island's way. We would place traditional leis around the deceased's necks and send them out to sea in a coffin created by Atua. Then the deceased's family would swim out to sea with the coffin to make certain the spirit got to where He picks them up in order to herald them to heaven."

"D-does the family return home though…?" Himiko asked, calming down.

"Well sometimes we send out a rescue team if the family gets lost but the whole ceremony and action of escorting the fallen to Atua's kingdom is truly divine! Could you imagine people going to such far lengths for you to make sure you found eternal happiness?" Angie jumped up in excitement.

"That is certainly part of my creed of selfless devotion." Kirumi spoke more comfortably, finding something to relate with the outlandish tradition of Angie's island.

"It is really sweet… *sigh* I-I'll not give up hope… but it's just so scary to imagine that we could be killed and never see our family or friends again." Himiko confessed.

"Those who believe shall be saved Himiko! We're all in this together!" Angie clasped her hands above her head and remarked cheerfully.

"I'm certainly not about to let us falter in our mission either. It is best we keep pressing forward as a group." Kirumi added firmly.

"... I think we've still got a long ways to go but this is definitely a start." Ryoma mentioned.

"Still, Atua thinks such a funeral service should be done with something extra miraculous. I'm open to ideas on his behalf." Angie admitted, pointing her paintbrush at the others.

"I'll… do my best to think about those kinds of ideas." Himiko responded positively, adjusting her hat confidently.

With the atmosphere made positive once again, the Ultimates had some decisions to make in regards to what to do next. There was the matter of showing Himiko her weapon and armor but they felt it was best to save that until the moment they did go down into the Dungeon. Plus Monokuma had mentioned that the Cafeteria was where the 'Talent Development Plan' minigame was located that would grant them the stats and abilities needed to have an advantage in the Despair Dungeon. Also, the feeling of hunger and thirst within all of them was rising steadily and it would be beneficial to make sure they were full and satisfied before heading off into the Despair Dungeon. Kirumi, the one most comfortable in the kitchen out of the four of them, took charge on this matter.

"I believe it would be best now for us to go to the Cafeteria and have us some meals. I'll be able to do the cooking provided we have enough ingredients to make suitable recipes. Is everyone fine with that?" She offered with a gentle tone and expression.

"I could use some grub. Thank you Kirumi." Ryoma gave Kirumi a sincere smile and thumbs up.

"I would love something with avocados please!" Angie remarked cheerfully.

"I would like something sweet and delicate… like me." Himiko said with some attempt at charm.

"I will grant those requests to the best of my abilities." Kirumi nodded in confirmation as the four made their way out of the Armory and back into the hallway.

After a brief stroll, they reached the Cafeteria and found it did look a lot like the actual Hope's Peak Academy cafeteria. Several tables, big size, some modest decoration, and even a wall clock that appeared to still be ticking. It said 1:46 which implied that it was likely the middle of the afternoon. More unique to this area was the arcade machine in the middle of the cafeteria that had a strangely decorative design. Pixelated versions of the various Ultimate Students were lined on the side with colorful backgrounds and designs of what looked like a gameboard. The screen showed the message 'Ultimate Talent Development Plan' with a image of the front of Hope's Peak Academy on it and the 'Press Start' button. It looked fairly simple and there wasn't a coin dispenser which meant it was free but it's lone presence in the cafeteria was a bit intimidating. It was as though it would be a beckoning reminder that even as they ate, they had a deathly serious responsibility to serve their fellow Ultimates.

"So it's styled like an arcade machine… Nyeh, it's so retro." Himiko complained.

"It is a bit unusual how many time periods our Mastermind is drawing upon for this imprisonment and game." Kirumi muttered.

"Looks like we'll have to go try it out after we eat then. It'll hopefully bring about a mysterious miracle." Angie offered.

"Let's just hope it's something we can get a handle of." Ryoma wondered aloud.

After this brief exchange between the four of them, Kirumi headed off towards the kitchen to determine what was inside and cook the requests of the others. Ryoma elected to sit a bit further away from where Angie and Himiko chose to sit, needing some time to gather his thoughts and reflect on what their earlier actions had been. Himiko had been vulnerable and it was understandable for her to be freaked out, though it was a relief to see that she was being so forward about her emotions when once upon a time she was a bit of a wallflower and isolated in her insistence of 'magic'. A great deal of this opening up had come from Angie's steadfast belief in her and Tenko's possible crush on the little girl but undying support of her magic nonetheless. Yet compared to Tenko, Ryoma had a tough time discerning Angie's genuine feelings on her support. After all, the beginning of the year, Angie had clearly been on a bit of a agenda of her own. That agenda seemed pushy but harmless at first but their first true encounter brought to light just how off-putting Angie and her beliefs could be.

-Flashback-

Ryoma found himself sitting around the Hope's Peak Academy grounds, alone, customary for him these days. It had only been about a week since the semester started and he had been admitted to Hope's Peak Academy as a 'redemption arc'. It was a cheap way to put it but it really did feel like Hope's Peak Academy was pitying his fate and his lost talent and wanted to revive the Ultimate Tennis Pro. It was easier said than done for their part as Ryoma wasn't in the firm belief he still had that in him or could have that in him. It felt stifling when Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut, recognized him instantly and insisted on at least playing a game with him only to be frustrated when Ryoma declined as politely as he could. The distinct hope spots from the class were that the Ultimate Detective hadn't yet questioned him about his past, that Tenko Chabashira hadn't been as aggressive towards him compared to the other men of the class in her 'degenerate male' crusade, that Kirumi seemed very nurturing and supportive, and that there were some nice folks in this class like Kaede and Saihara. He had ran into a few of the other Ultimates from other classes though some of their behaviors had a long ways to become ready for the real world. _They are still better off than I am,_ Ryoma thought as he took off his beanie and frowned at the hot sun.

"Yah-hah! You are Ryoma Hoshi right?! From my class?" A cheerful voice he had only started to get accustomed to in his class approached him.

The long pigtails and the yellow coat gave away quickly that it was Angie, the one who Ryoma considered the oddball out of the class. Given the lying Kokichi, the eternal observer Korekiyo, and the loudmouthed yet meek Iruma were among his group and that in itself said a lot about her. She was difficult to read but seemed happy enough, never doing anything malicious. But there was something about her demeanor, and her insistence about the god she worshipped Atua, that made Ryoma uneasy. _Then again this is our first time having a one-on-one meeting,_ Ryoma considered.

"Yeah… you are Angie right? The Ultimate Artist?" He asked.

"Well yes it is I. Angie Yonaga. But truthfully Atua is the creator of all the art and I merely offer my body as His vessel to create it." The girl appeared incapable of staying still as she swayed much like the island breeze she seemed to miss from her home.

"A vessel for a male god… that's got to have a long history to it then. What business do you have with me though?" Ryoma asked, a bit dismissive of the belief.

"Well you just seemed very sad and lonely. You don't really talk to any of the others and certainly not to me. So Atua, like a heavenly guardian angel has come to you with an offer of togetherness." Angie clasped her hands in prayer.

Ryoma felt a bit insulted at this. No guardian angel had stepped in when he lost his family and love to the mafia members he had enraged. No guardian angel pardoned him of his crimes when he went to prison. Nothing like that was possible in this real and brutal world and yet Angie sounded as though it was all reality. A fairy tale character come to life. 'Magic' as Himiko would put it which Ryoma was interested in seeing but felt the Magician had a bit too fantastical of a view on her talent. Still, Ryoma didn't want to make any bad impressions on his first month of being at the Academy (And the Academy certainly wouldn't risk that either), so he played along in the meantime.

"How does he want me to not be lonely anymore? Pray to him?" He asked.

"Nyahaha! You already got it! I knew Atua's choice in recruiting you was correct! You'll get bonus points for such natural wisdom. Praying to Atua will bring you great fortune and salvation you know. You'll never be lonely when He watches over you." Angie pulled out her sculpting tools and looked very excited.

"Watches over me you say…? What does He look like?" Ryoma asked, half-heartedly wondering if maybe some deity had been watching over him his whole life.

"His form changes depending on believers and cultures. Many other gods from various cultures have various interpretations of Atua but there is only one Atua in reality. Isn't he such a wonderful god?" Angie smiled gleefully.

"..." Ryoma grimaced.

 _She sure preaches about Him yet fails to give definitive details about His actions,_ he concluded. She had also mentioned some sort of points system which she either forgot about in her haste to ask Ryoma questions or she was waiting for Ryoma to ask about it before giving further feedback.

"Oh? You look disbelieving. That's kind of a shame... Atua would love to help you and grant you blessings. You could even collect points to have special perks. So divine!" Angie attempted to make an offer.

"Points… doesn't that defeat the purpose of a religion?" Ryoma muttered.

"..." Angie gave a somewhat blank smile at Ryoma.

Ryoma could only guess she was upset but was trying not to go off on him or was thinking about what he said very carefully. Frankly it was the kind of reaction he had memorized from dealing with inmates and wardens in prison. Ultimately he wondered if that comment had struck too deep of a nerve in the Ultimate Artist. If he was tattled on by Angie to someone like Tenko then he would've likely been in a lot of future pain so he decided to backpedal a bit on his pseudo-interrogation.

"I apologize. Maybe that was a bit senseless… I don't really know very much about your island's culture after all. How do you worship Atua then?" Ryoma switched to the other mysterious topic regarding Angie.

"Nyahaha! I'm so glad you asked Ryoma. Firstly we make lots of offerings to Him. A delivery truck comes to gather offerings on Monday and Wednesday mornings after all. It's all a part of the circle of life." Angie explained.

"Wouldn't it be easier to collect offerings from Sunday to Saturday mornings? It seems difficult for people to make enough offerings to be satisfactory two days after Monday." Ryoma decided to ignore the 'points' comment to try to get some sense of how Angie's island worked.

"Atua has decreed it thus and so it can't really be changed. Besides His words are always right so I've found it's best not to argue with Him." Angie teased, pointing at Ryoma with a strangely flirtatious tone in her voice.

 _She sounds as authoritative as the prison wardens_ , Ryoma thought with a bit of a frown. She was certainly infectious though and it wasn't like she was trying to anger him in her explanations. The idea of becoming religious now after all the loss of faith in himself and his future was a bit too impossible right now so he decided to decline.

"I don't think He'd want someone like me worshipping Him. I've got a lot of sins in me after all." Ryoma confessed.

"You don't think you are worthy of enlightenment then?" Angie asked, surprisingly poignant.

"Yes. That's exactly it."

"I see, I see… well Atua is willing to forgive your sins if you come join his services. He'll watch over you like family members, always having your back. Providing a haven even in the darkest places." Angie clasped her hands in prayer but her words shook Ryoma.

"... Family…?" He asked quietly.

He had none. That was the issue. What Angie said implied a lot, that she was aware of this even though Ryoma had wisely chosen not to share any of his history of Killer Tennis with his classmates. What had sounded like genuine support and sympathy was starting to be a bit more… off-putting. She was trying to paint a picture, this time in the mind as opposed to on a canvas, of Atua as 'cure-all' kind of thing. It was alarming and not at all a healthy thing to follow this early on in life. Maybe her efforts to help him were of an honest nature and she did sound perfectly sweet but it all seemed to raise too many warning flags as to how powerful she was. There were Ultimates who had the capacity for deception, Kokichi in his class being the most notorious one, and some with Talents or reptuations that had considerable influence over others. It was this kind of influence in Angie's Atuaism that could evolve into a creepy cult like some of his inmates had been arrested for being a part of or for taking their beliefs too far. So Ryoma was even more startled to hear Angie's next words.

"Yes, yes! Isn't He such a wonderful god?"

"I'm convinced this Atua isn't as much of a miracle worker as you say he is Angie…" Ryoma got to his feet, alarm bells ringing in his head.

"You sound so scared Ryoma. There's no reason to be afraid. You should pray with me because Atua says so!" Angie swayed in the manor of a snake carefully planning it's strike.

Ryoma bolted, not about to get sucked up into some strange religious pastime with a girl who was frighteningly perceptive of other people's baggage and seemed intent on getting her way. She seemed set on trying to find followers for Atua and didn't even embrace her Talent as being her own. Ryoma was beginning to realize how bothersome that made her out to be to him. Here he was, abandoning his Talent because he had used it for such cruel deeds while she had Talent but passed it off as someone doing it for her. Perhaps she felt that Ryoma's behavior was contradictory to the type of behavior she practiced with her Talent and that was what was pushing her to try to get him to believe in Atua and change how she wanted him to. Ryoma, in his heart, knew he wanted his free will first and foremost but could understand that Talent was important not just to the Academy, but to its student. Something about that motivated him afterward to start being a bit more proactive and not completely bow down from opportunities to use his Talent or be helpful, like at the sports festival or at culture festivals. Ultimately though, the biggest mark it left on him was a distrust of Angie that fortunately she never showed up to capitalize on. She was more than often seen with Himiko or some of the other students, or nowhere to be found on campus grounds by him.

-Present Time-

Ryoma grimaced as he realized from then till now, Angie's primary motivation was still very much similar to what she had wanted three school years ago. Granted she had mellowed down a teensy bit, had acknowledged her talent a bit more at other's requests, and friendships with people like Hagakure, Kaede, and Himiko gave her a bit more opportunities to help others out with her positivity. Atua though was another story entirely and now he was growing convinced she would try to use Him to get her way during this Despair Dungeon debacle. For what purpose he wasn't sure about but he imagined she simply wanted a level of power and control over the situation that being with the stubborn Ryoma and analytical Kirumi seemed to deny her. Seeing Himiko and Angie talking casually did soothe his suspicions a bit to not outright glare at her but he was starting to understand why Maki often showed her reservations about someone with a piercing stare. In a welcome change to the atmosphere of the cafeteria, Kirumi then exited from the kitchen, holding a tray of delicious dishes as well as some tea.

"The kitchen is impressively well-stocked so I was able to find ingredients and foods that would best work with your requests." Kirumi remarked.

"Thank you Kirumi. I know you don't like being called a mother but… you really remind me of my mom sometimes." Himiko admitted.

"... Well given this situation's nature I won't take any offense to that. I'd like to be able to prove myself capable of watching over you three as well as myself so that nothing bad happens." The Maid admitted as she set the tray of food down on the table.

A fruit salad featuring avocados was made for Angie, a standard Western-style breakfast of pancakes was made for both Himiko and Ryoma (Who never wanted to be fussy with his food requests and thus let Kirumi make what she felt would be ok), and Kirumi had made herself tea sandwiches to dine on with her tea. The four of them quickly dug into their expertly-made meals, the quality of them rivaling the cooking capabilities of Teruteru Hanamura. It was this kind of moment where the four of them felt at ease, much like the majority of their stay at the Academy. Ultimately though, they knew it would be high time once they'd finish their foods that the Talent Development Plan was the next agenda. The first step into conquering the 100 floors of the Despair Dungeon and ultimately rescuing their friends. It felt like a monumental task and perhaps in some respects it was, but they weren't going to give up. Once the meals were finished by each Ultimate, Himiko was the one who asked to see if everyone was on the same page,

"So are we ready to try this Talent Development spell?"

To Be Continued...


	3. Floors 1-10 Daily Life 2

Dangan Ronpa: Dungeon of Infinite Hope

By Lolitafreak88

Chapter 2: Creed of Life

Regarding the Talent Development Plan machine, there was a thorough explanation about how stats and abilities were earned on the side. Essentially there were several boards with each square having a different symbol and thus yielding different effects. Himiko remarked how similar it was to a series of magical party games featuring characters from Nintendo, one of Chiaki's favorite game companies. A blue square would grant the benefits of 'Stats Up' which would increase everyone's stats by 3 should they land on it with a maximum of 99 boosts. A green square would grant the benefits of 'Events' in which the choices or scenarios you obtained would grant significant stat boosts but only in one category. A pink square would grant the benefits of 'Friendly' which apparently was the biggest selling point of this mini-game as it portrayed events between different Ultimates while giving several high stat boosts depending on what event played out. An orange square would grant the benefits of 'Talent' and would yield talent shards of your choice to start selecting skills and the amount was triple the amount you got on a dice roll. The squares with Monokuma's face on them were 'Despair' squares and would reduce your stats as a penalty. There were also several boards with different sizes and square layouts which could be strategically selected to prioritize trying to land on more of one kind of square. Stats, Talent, Friendship, and the elusive Future board which was apparently in such high demand that it became a default Board. There also existed 'X2' versions of the Stats and Talent squares which would grant twice the bonuses. A traditional session of playing Talent Development Plan would let you play through three boards as well.

"Which squares to prioritize is the tricky part. That's what Atua says." Angie said upon finishing her reading of the notes.

"I feel stats are the best way to start going for the first round and then you adapt based on how much of a gain you got. After all it's not guaranteed you'll always land on the blue squares on the 'Stats' board." Kirumi theorized.

"Talents are what we need to get skills… so that might be our second goal. Friendship and Event squares seem fine and dandy but they are the most optional ones." Ryoma added.

"Nyeh, but I'm kind of curious now to see what these 'Friendship' events are like." Himiko admitted.

"... Himiko raises a point. How would our Mastermind go about making 'Friendship' events for all of us? Is there perhaps some sort of fictional narrative for them or are they based on real events?" Kirumi looked apprehensive now.

"Atua won't accept blasphemy. Besides, if they happen to be of real events then that's totally ok. We shouldn't let anything that didn't happen get to us, right?" Angie asked.

The other three felt Angie was correct on this. The possibility of the smallest detail in this strange scenario to be a metaphorical knife for Monokuma to stab and twist into the hearts of the participants was rather high. So if these 'Friendship' events were scornful and negative then that meant it was probably intentional on Monokuma's part and was best ignored. As they continued to read, they found that the main goal was to reach the 'Goal' space by pasting or landing on it before the semester ended, which allowed you to take an 'exam' for a chance to get bonus talent shards and stats should you defeat all the adversaries. This would accumulate into a final Graduation Exam against three sets of rather powerful foes for the chance to get three chances of bonuses.

"It seems friendly AI will be assigned to us randomly out of the three categories and our classmates to join us in these excursions." Kirumi noted.

"I don't know if I want Kokichi helping me though… he might sabotage me as a prank." Himiko muttered with slight annoyance.

"I don't think these AI will be real. Just mandatory help to have a full team participate in exams." Ryoma reminded her.

"Oh my! It says here that there's a chance that our classmates will show up on the board and if we land on the same square as them, we'll earn bonus stats and a card to help reap benefits from the Board based on which student it is. How divine!" Angie looked satisfied.

"The Monokubs will also occasionally pop up to offer a free card or a chance at a Surgery which will potentially give a great boost to your stats and talent shards. Should the Surgery fail though and you will find yourself setback in stats. A Success Card can guarantee any Surgery opportunity will turn out successful if you have it on hand. That sounds fishy to me… Since when did Hope's Peak Academy offer surgeries?" Himiko asked.

"Perhaps since the Ultimate Nurse enrolled?" Kirumi offered.

"There was also an Ultimate Pharmacist as a I recall. I saw her often with a confectioner who had sweets Atua would've loved a box of. They vanished at some point during the year…" Angie recalled.

Ryoma shared Himiko's thoughts on the matter. Why would there be something like a 'Surgery' offered in this board game based entirely on Hope's Peak Academy to begin with? It implied some sort of drastic change and if there was somebody he had seen who looked like they had gone through a drastic change it was Hajime. _That could only mean these 'Surgeries' hold some dark implication about Hope's Peak Academy itself,_ Ryoma concluded in his mind. Still, he had no evidence to support such a conclusion and it wasn't important in terms of what he and his friends were trying to do now. He let the girls think about the Surgery as more of a positive rather than a negative. Kirumi did seem to notice Ryoma's forlorn expression somewhat, having grown accustomed to Ryoma's state of mind more than her other classmates out of respect for his demeanor and concern for him wanting to feel like he had a future. She cleared her throat and continued reading what appeared to be the last rule of the Talent Development Plan,

"Finally, if you do not reach your goal in time, you will be forced to go to the exclusive Despair Course in the next round and won't be able to attempt the exams. This board is not entirely a punishment but contains the most Despair squares and should be tread very carefully. That's all there appears to be…"

"It seems like a lot of fun!" Angie seemed chipper and excited as she held her hands over her head in clasped prayer.

"Fun is not really what I'd describe being forced to play this Angie… but I can see what you mean. I wanna build a lot of magical power in this game." Himiko remarked, incapable of hiding her excitement.

"There's an unfortunate lack of a list of skills so ultimately I will need to see the skills for what they are and then transcribe them and their effects for future reference." Kirumi added.

"Well I'm going to focus on a strong offense. Angie, Himiko? What are you two going for?" Ryoma asked thoughtfully.

"I wanna be a very powerful mage. But I also think that something that could help you guys would be nice. Nyeh… why wasn't I Intellect?" Himiko shook her arms in slight frustration at the fact her class was not suited to cast spells as much as Kirumi was.

"You can still presumably gain a lot of Intellect through items and the Board Game. I wouldn't count your dreams of being a strong Mage out yet." Ryoma gave Himiko words of encouragement.

"Ryoma's right! I for one will prioritize what Atua believes is the best skillset for the Ultimate Artist!" Angie remarked, rubbing herself.

"Which is?" Ryoma was torn between annoyance at her making it about her and flusteredness at her agreeing with him as opposed to her God.

"Something to help enlighten everyone and keep them within Atua's guidance. I don't really know how to describe it in the game terms Himiko is more familiar with." Angie admitted humbly.

"Probably a support in that case. I'm going to be more of a utility mage. Ryoma's on his way to becoming a rogue or an assassin. Kirumi, what are you going to aim for?" Himiko asked the Ultimate Maid her strategy.

"Ideally a best of both physical and magical prowess. I do agree that some utility would be vital should one of us were to fall in battle so a skill that'd allow me to keep my masters steady and strong would be vital." Kirumi said with determination.

"You don't really have to call us your masters anymore… friends would be fine."

"*Chuckle* That is true. It's fairly hard to break the habit when selfless devotion can be applied in this scenario. Were this for some more relaxing activity then… well…" Kirumi looked a little anxious all of a sudden.

It was true that she was not as much of a social butterfly as one might guess based on how she played off and attended to the other students students would suggest. It was rare for her to engage a conversation directly without having first been prompted by some command, order, request, or in general one of her 'masters' speaking first. Ryoma could relate in the harsh semblance of prison life that a careless word or trying to start a conversation in a tense environment was recipe for disaster. Maids in the past would likely have had been punished in some ruthless or painful way for speaking out of line in the eyes of their 'noble' masters. So what Kirumi was trying to say but realized she couldn't was that she wouldn't address her classmates of three years as 'masters' if they were in a casual environment. But being a maid was always going to be central to how Kirumi lived after what Ryoma could assume based on her stories and caliber. _Why did she throw herself into becoming an Ultimate who follows others to begin with?_ He was thinking suddenly. As these thoughts came to fruition, Angie, once again displaying a strange sense of analytical empathy, looked to Kirumi and clasped her hands in prayer.

"I think it's possible to relax and still call us your friends rather than your masters Kirumi. If you went to serve Angie on the island, we'd never address you as a servant and you could have a lot of fun with all of us."

"...! T-that's a very kind offer Angie… truthfully I may have other priorities before coming to your island but perhaps I would come to visit you someday if you and… Atua… needed my assistance." Kirumi blushed, surprised at the candid offer.

"Nyahahaha! It's a deal! Well then, I'm going to go play the Talent Development Plan and see what it's all about. Byeonara!" Angie gleefully skipped away to go try the machine after finishing her piece.

Kirumi sighed in a tired fashion and attempted to recompose herself by adjusting her body language as Himiko looked to be following after Angie, presumably to watch her friend play it before playing it herself afterward. Ryoma seized the opportunity to gesture to Kirumi to sit at the benches with him. Kirumi nodded with a small smile and the two rather serious Ultimates sat down, prepared for a cordial chat while the Variety students tinkered with Monokuma's invention.

"Long day…" Ryoma began.

"I'm intent on proposing that we only go through half of the floors today, up until we reach the elevator and activate it. Then we would come back here, get a night's worth of sleep, and wake up tomorrow to finish the five remaining ones off. Although I'm a bit worried about what Angie might have in mind… sweet as she can be, manipulative is what I'm used to her being." Kirumi looked down at the table with reservations.

"So you've noticed too…" Ryoma grimaced.

"I'm not really the kind of person who should settle into a religious lifestyle as deeply as she does. Perhaps it could be seen as atheism but I'd prefer to simply keep my own beliefs out of the public eye nor let it disrupt my work as a maid. Her descriptions of her home and god are uncanny to me and suggest she's the one who created this belief system." Kirumi confessed.

"... Considering she was recognized as an Ultimate at some point by the public, I'm starting to think this belief system was already in place on her island. She might of helped it to grow and she certainly wants it to grow." Ryoma put his hands in his pockets.

"And if it does grow… well, I suppose that seems to be a dream of hers." Kirumi folded her hands in her lap.

"Still, she uses Atua's influence as a status, to make her opinion relevant and that she should be in charge. If she tries to make the students we wake up to follow her orders, there'll be a divide and drawn lines. I can see it as a possibility now and I don't want it to escalate to that point. It'd be troublesome…"

"It'd at least be more of a distraction than an asset as Angie would believe. Not everyone would want to follow her advice and some are very adamant about her. Miu and Tenko in particular would be the most suspicious ones out of our class." Kirumi noted.

There was a silence as the two Ultimates considered the ramifications of their discussion. It was right to be wary of her but in some sense, were they just putting more paranoia into this situation themselves? Himiko would've disapproved of this gossiping and even Angie would probably feel hurt that her 'friends' and one of whom she just encouraged quite genuinely were distrusting her. Kirumi and Ryoma exchanged quick glances before nodding to themselves. They decided they needed to keep it between themselves for now. If Angie was showing signs of exceeding her ambitions, they'd likely have to address Himiko or more preferably, a student they were able to wake up with the hopes of curbing it before it got out of hand. Things were quiet for several minutes, save some excited gasps from Angie and Himiko. From the sounds of it, they had come across one of the Friendship Events.

"Ah! This was the time I tried to explain to Hiyoko the wonders of Atua! It's a shame she didn't see the light... and still doesn't."

"Nyeh, I've never been fond of her trickery but she did seem to appreciate my magic shows."

"Do you know what she means by psychoelectric though? I've never heard the term before."

"I think it's like some kind of lifestyle or description for a really special person."

"It appears these Friendship Events are positive in nature then." Kirumi looked to be cheered up by seeing the two chatting casually.

"That's a relief. I don't think any of us could handle any more mind games…" Ryoma mused softly to himself.

"And it also appears these Friendship Events detail events from throughout the school year. I've certainly fulfilled a lot of requests so I wonder what events would be chosen for me." Kirumi reminisced.

 _There's a thought,_ Ryoma thought in regards to himself, _what Friendship Events would I have?_ Rarely did Hoshi think selfishly or about things that could turn out nice for once in his life. He had spent time with other athletes, with customers at a stand, with playing tennis, with studying, and with his own direct classmates. A lot of interactions that had been much smoother and more endearing than anything in prison. In particular, he hadn't been abused by anyone, nor would he let any abuse be tolerated here. He could also appreciate Kirumi's almost innocent excitement about seeing what would be featured in the Talent Development Plan game when she played through it.

"Any in particular that stand out to you?" He asked.

"Well… there was the one request I had where Byakuya, Celeste, and Sonia wanted me to serve them at a private tea party. The three of them really did appreciate my level of servitude and success as a Maid." Kirumi recalled.

"... Well two of them are probably used to having a lot of servants at their beck and call. The third though… she's a wild card. She can be normal when she wants to be but I've also heard she puts on a persona." Ryoma looked pensive.

"... Yes I have to agree with you there that whenever I've encountered her, she speaks as though she herself is a princess or a noble. Her dreams are connected towards reaching such a benevolent status with her earnings as a Gambler. Still I can't help but feel there's a reason for such." Kirumi explained.

"... *Sigh* On second thought we really shouldn't be gossiping about people who are asleep and who we are tasked with saving." Ryoma suddenly felt a bit embarrassed after hearing Kirumi's in-depth analysis.

"Perhaps I should tell you then how the tea party went instead?" Kirumi offered.

"A story wouldn't hurt. I imagine Angie and Himiko are going to take some time after all." Ryoma leaned on his arm as her stared at Kirumi clearing her throat.

-Flashback-

The idea for the tea party was Celeste's as she was interested in having a cordial, elegant affair amongst Ultimates she considered 'A-rank' or higher. Judging by her qualifications, only Togami and Sonia fit the bill due to them being heirs of power and Ultimates of high status. Togami seemed irritated at Celeste's haughty assumption of herself being 'A-rank' but with Kirumi offering her legendary brewing skills and service, he begrudgingly agreed. Sonia was enthusiastic about the idea, having never had a true tea party outside of her kingdom of Novoselic. Considering the cafeteria in which Celeste and Togami liked to consider their own domain was a public space, Kirumi offered that they instead use some of the campus grounds of Hope's Peak Academy. Sonia was the one to suggest the fountain as Hajime and Chiaki had often frequented there and it had enough space around it to prepare a nice table setting. Celeste and Togami agreed for the weather had been perfect for outdoor activities lately and hopefully make it easier to spot intruders for Kirumi to shoo away.

The tables and chairs were chosen carefully by Kirumi to be seamless yet fitting for an outdoor affair, settling on steel chairs with elegant curves in the design with floral pillows to add comfort and contrast to the seats. The table was a seamless white wood table with a circular shape and a black table-cloth to appeal to Celeste's gothic taste while also expertly hiding any stains or spillage that might happen. A lavish vase of fragrant hydrangeas, blue roses, and chocolate cosmos was to be in the center of the table as decoration. Much of these furnishings had been found and provided by Hope's Peak Academy when Celeste proactively asked them for permission to reserve the fountain area. With Togami's influential and Sonia's regal status amongst the guest list, they permitted it as a recreational activity for cultivating knowledge and hope among the three of them. Kirumi was asstounded that it seemed almost miraculous the lengths Hope's Peak Academy would successfully go to make something worthy of an Ultimate student. _Could you imagine how they would celebrate someone's birthday?_ She had thought when setting the table setting up.

For the teas, she prepared a small selection of them, as well as Civet Coffee per Togami's request. Royal milk tea was Celeste's request as the Ultimate Gambler considered the drink something of a status symbol as well as a pleasant beverage. Sonia was the only one to not make any requests on food or drink (None of them seemed particularly picky about the food offerings) and so Kirumi prepared Ginger Tea. For the tea party foods, she made sandwiches, scones, eclairs, chocolate fondant, an assortment of French cheeses with crackers, and some fresh fruit. Kirumi always found that cooking meals and baking desserts was one of the more fun parts of being a maid as it was able to bring satisfaction to her masters and praise for her service. Selfless devotion had many rewards after all. The last crucial element to a tea party was the tea set, and Kirumi decided on separating the teacups by color for each guest. Black with a calculated poker symbol pattern for Celeste, a beautifully bronze teacup for Sonia, and a sharp forest green cup for Togami. The specially made teapots that contained the beverages had the Hope's Peak Academy insignia beautifully painted upon them. After setting some garden parasols to provide shade for the guests, the Gambler, Princess, and Affluent Progeny arrived and the tea party commenced. Tea and coffee cascaded like waterfalls into the cups, foods were eaten with only the best of table matters, and conversation striked up rather quickly with Kirumi waiting until it was permissible for her to speak.

"Amazing! Every pastry is so fluffy and moist. The tea and coffee is of the finest sweetness and bitterness respectfully. This kind of tea party must be what those dreaming of being Alice have wished for!" Sonia remarked with a sparkle in her eye.

"Ehehehe. I fancy myself more of a Queen of Hearts than an Alice Sonia. But truthfully you never fail to impress Kirumi." Celeste idly bestowed her praise before sipping her Royal Milk tea.

"Humph, fairy tales are not at all an accurate representation of what a tea party is about. There's much more emphasis on making an impression and not appearing a fool as someone of status and noble upbringing." Togami, never one to take it easy, seemed to be lecturing the two girls.

"Yes, it is true in Novoselic I've had to be trained in proper etiquette for things like military drills, balls, and speeches… I'd say it helps but it can be a bit stifling at times." Sonia confessed.

"If you aren't trained in your position you are destined for failure. In the Togami Corporation, training is self-taught… otherwise you are deemed a dependent and are no worthy heir." Togami opened up much more easily here than whenever he was with any other Ultimate.

"I can't say I envy that but if it would be what it would take to fulfill my dream, why not learn a bit of politics and management?" Celestia remarked.

"You certainly have the potential to make connections as a Gambler Celeste. Shady they may be but that, your marvelous mind, and your wealth would make you a bonafide 'black horse'!" Sonia remarked eagerly.

Celestia raised an eyebrow whereas Togami sipped some coffee. Kirumi closed her eyes and held back the urge to chuckle at Sonia's misuse of the early 19th century slang. Sonia was by far the most personable of those born into an organization of influence and power and it was what allowed her to quickly become one of Kirumi's favorite mas… friends to serve. Compared to Celeste's indulgent self-mindedness and Togami's division of who could stand with him and who couldn't, Sonia addressed the other Ultimates as friends rather than subjects as one might assume a more strict princess to be. Not that Togami and Celeste didn't possess intriguing qualities that Kirumi wanted to help hone but Sonia definitely shined as a social presence and relatable young woman.

"The term is 'dark horse' my dear Sonia." Celestia corrected her in a tone that was the slightest bit patronizing.

"Oh you are right. Thank you for correcting me Celeste. While we are on the subject, how did you train to become a Gambler? Wouldn't that require memorization of different hand strengths and being able to perceive other player's emotions and the flow of money?" Sonia asked curiously.

"... Truly it comes to the ability to deceive and play your opponents as well as you might play yourself with a poker face. Still, luck is the ultimate deciding factor in what can assist or even secure your victories. Why else do you think two Ultimate Lucky Students would be present at Hope's Peak Academy?" Celestia leaned forward as she usually did when she wanted to make a firm point.

"They are here because Hope's Peak Academy had a lottery and they were picked. I suppose you'll ramble about how that is a part of luck too right?" Togami challenged Celeste.

"Tch. I suppose you catch on too quickly. Unfortunately Togami is right Sonia, that is the point I was intent on stressing. Luck is of undeniable significance in deciding your hand and your ability to win. Granted, the ability to deceive and communicate facially and verbally without any faults is essential too. With that, my skill with the art of lying is unparallelled. Even in the face of your gremlin of a classmate Kirumi." Celeste eyed Kirumi with one of her poised if subtly haughty smiles.

"Kokichi you mean? Over the semesters I've grown to become accustomed to his tricks. It's also become much easier as of late to distinguish his honest comments from his lies." Kirumi offered.

In truth, she rather disliked him at times for his insistence on being disruptive and often instigating conflict whether it was a 'robophobic' comment towards Kiibo or getting Kaito riled up or manipulating Gonta. Still, she wanted to believe that as the Ultimate Supreme Leader, he held potential worth serving. Furthermore she wasn't sure outright expressing her dislike for Kokichi in front of these Ultimates would be a very kind move on her part. _Although I do wonder what Celeste's take on him is,_ Kirumi realized as she recalled that he and the Gambler had encountered each other several times before. Thankfully, Sonia changed the subject with a question of her own. This question, to Kirumi's surprise, was directed towards the Ultimate Maid herself.

"While the subject is high on the horizon, I wanted to ask something of you Kirumi. What kind of training did you undertake to become the Ultimate Maid?"

Kirumi looked slightly uncertain at first, folding her hands as a sort of nervous habit. Celeste and Togami didn't betray any sort of reaction with their neutral expressions, looking to Kirumi with a normal amount of expectation. Kirumi was rarely asked by her masters to disclose the specifics of her training since with agencies like the one she had been a part of before becoming an Ultimate, it was common knowledge what capabilities a maid or butler would have. This time she was being asked to recount the origins of her training and even motivations for becoming a maid. Kirumi considered her history to not be a tragic one compared to some of the other Ultimates whose talents were either not ones they wanted, had brought about misfortune or conflict, or who generally had dark events in their lives. With this comparison in mind, perhaps it was alright to answer Sonia's excited question. Kirumi cleared her throat eloquently and stood with attentiveness and composure.

"Very well Sonia. I shall tell you how I grew to become the Ultimate Maid." Kirumi said.

"Thank you." Sonia nodded politely and listened carefully.

"In truth my interest in the profession began as a young girl in which I would frequent the library to read about occupations in the hopes of finding something that could be my dream. My parents liked for me to do chores around the household and I quickly grew to develop responsibility and a sense of routine when it came to things like cooking and cleaning. In particular, the role of a maid came to me when I read about the Victorian era and I was intrigued by the mystique, prestige, and importance of the maids that would be served during that time." Kirumi began.

"Indeed. The Victorian era was simply indulgent and elegant. It's a shame that the era we are in now is full of riffraff and rather plain taste…" Celeste looked wistful.

"Taste should not compromise functionality or sustainability. The Togami Corporation doesn't need outdated architecture or values for it's foundation. It's constantly progressing. Regardless, it was an era that brought about developments in the way society and upper class society in particular functioned." Togami added.

"I soon learned in some parts of the world and in some upper class societies, maids were still being hired and I thought it'd make a proper role for me. I've always enjoyed the sensation of being depended on and helping others progress and make positive change for themselves and the world around them. I also enjoyed the opportunity to advise and use my own perspective to lead them into utilizing their full potential. As I grew up I participated in a variety of clubs from sports to sewing to cooking and even doing research on things such as self-defense, economics, and politics so that I may best suit any future client. You could say I was a bit of an overachiever." Kirumi chuckled.

"Amazing! Participating in a variety of school clubs… you must've been popular amongst your classmates!" Sonia looked delighted.

"Most of the time I was open to tutoring some of them and helping others, but I also learned valuable lessons about not letting myself be misled or tricked into service. It came in handy coming into high school and soon I was able to apply as a maid for part time services. The quality of my work as a maid and the unconventionally high praise from my masters soon caught wind of Hope's Peak Academy and I was eventually recognized as an Ultimate and allowed full-time service as a maid with payments and benefits for me and my family. That brings us to today on this beautiful day and us having a tea party amongst Ultimates." Kirumi finished her story.

The reception to her story appeared to be quite interesting from what Kirumi noticed. Celeste was eyeing her with a mix of pity, indifference, and perhaps even envy. Togami was still frowning but his eyes were soft and judging Kirumi calmly as opposed to scornfully. Sonia's was a sense of happiness but also longing as the Princess stared seemingly beyond Kirumi towards the horizon. From what Kirumi knew so far, the first and third reactions were complex but understandable. Celestia Ludenberg was an alias from what the Principal had allowed Kirumi to read about in accordance to serving her classmates and the girl behind the mask probably did not have a pleasant life before assuming the alias. Sonia had more than anything wanted to live or at least experience a more normal day-to-day life without the pressures of princesshood. Celeste seemed to be uneasy with Kirumi's normal past while Sonia admired Kirumi's normal past. Togami seemed to be showing some respect for her work ethic being consistent throughout her life and that was why he was not looking at her harshly or even scoffing as he usually did whenever he heard another Ultimate's story.

"I'm sure your family must be very proud of you." Sonia said.

"Thank you Sonia. I can't help but imagine that I completed their unconditional request of seeing me succeed with my actions."

"And getting to live a normal life even as you were working so hard to perfect your maiden's heart. It's very crackalackin!" Sonia pumped her arm in excitement.

"Sonia please." Celeste frowned slightly at the Princess.

With as much as Celeste desired to feel like royalty and become a princess of her own castle, it seemed as though Sonia's wish for being normal was a slap in the face to her. At least that's what Kirumi noted with a somewhat uneasy expression. Kirumi would've likely lectured Celeste at this point were it just between them but with Sonia and Togami in the area, it would've been a bit too risky. Togami's narrow eyes were directed at something that wasn't Celeste or Sonia and he grunted, leading the three girls to look his way.

"Kirumi, a request please." He said simply as he grasped his coffee cup.

"Yes Byakuya?" Kirumi responded.

"We have uninvited guests sneaking about around those bushes over there. Dispose of them immediately." Togami ordered.

"Do you recognize them?" Kirumi asked not only for the additional information but also to better figure out how threatening these guests were.

"One is an eyesore with putrid breath and an unhealthy obsession with me-"

"Toko Fukawa yes?" Celeste interrupted with a much more 'Celestia' expression on her face. Amused and calculating the situation as something entertaining to her without being as sympathetic.

"... Indeed. That is her."

"I'm sorry you have such a devoted follower. I'll do my best to protect you with my wisdom!" Sonia looked unusually supportive.

"Humph. That is a reckless offer Sonia. I'm more than capable of dealing with her. The other one is that greasy plebeian from your class Sonia." Togami scoffed.

Sonia's expression lost some of it's shimmer as she frowned and then looked down in an awkward silence. Kirumi was fairly certain of who fit this description best in Sonia's class (Barring Teruteru who had somewhat impressed Togami with his cooking skills though who had demonstrated his usual behavior which repulsed the Heir). Kazuichi Soda. The Ultimate Mechanic. Someone with a rather stereotypical and premature crush on Sonia Nevermind based on her appearance matching that of his ideal girl. He was a kind-hearted young man but a bit flighty and one who was passionately living his school life much like how Kaito did. That could lead into trouble just like Kaito's aggressive tendencies could be. For this situation it was Sonia's discomfort and adding along with Toko, the Ultimate Bookworm, watching Togami without his consent, that encouraged Kirumi it was necessary to follow this request.

"I'll encourage them to depart the area peacefully. I refuse to use violence on two of my friends. Where do you see them?" She asked Byakuya.

"Those bushes past there." Byakuya said, pointing towards said hiding place.

Kirumi nodded and with one more look at her Masters, viewing Sonia who was slightly recovering her confidence by drinking tea and Celeste who seemed amused by the whole affair, went to fulfill said request. She looked through the bushes and quickly found Toko and Kazuichi who were grumbling amongst themselves and so intent on watching their respective objects of desire that they didn't notice Kirumi. Kirumi decided it was best to interrupt whatever ramblings they may have been up to with the clearing of her throat. Toko and Kazuichi noticed her and reacted with somewhat exaggerated surprise.

"Eek! T-the maid… a-are you here to punish us or something?!" Toko snarled.

"I mean that wouldn't be half-bad but we weren't doing anything wrong!" Kazuichi looked intrigued by the prospect, much to Kirumi's displeasure.

"It's abundantly clear you two are continuing to spy on Togami and Sonia. It's not against the rules to be eyeing other people but this is a private affair for Togami, Sonia, and Celeste so I'm afraid I need to ask you two to leave." Kirumi held a surprising amount of anger that was growing within her.

She felt it was not ideal for anyone to be ogled at like some sort of trophy or work of art. Sure there were talents like Junko's modeling and Sayaka's idol performances that emphasized them being the center of attention but in a daily life when they weren't working, they too had a right to privacy. It also seem a detriment to both Toko and Kazuichi as individuals to be so stuck on trying to win over or gather the attention of two other Ultimates, rather than focus on using their full potential. She was hoping at this point the two of them could… as Miu would crudely but accurately put it, start thinking with their heads rather than their genitals. Toko looked mildly bothered by Kirumi's order but Kazuichi's reaction was a bit more surprising. He looked genuinely hurt despite Kirumi speaking rather politely.

"Humph! Y-you're lucky y-you are so talented… that Master trusts you with your knowledge and domestication… b-but just know that you aren't ever going to be his b-bride or someone who can s-seduce him easily! Master will not fall for such gimmicks!" Toko pointed at Kirumi angrily with some inaccurate accusations.

"I have no intention of seducing anyone Toko. Please go before you make a scene." Kirumi waved her hand dismissively.

Toko gave one last pining look to the direction Togami was in before she walked away, shoulders slumped and head down. Kirumi was relieved to see her leaving without too much of a fuss by Toko standards (Rumors about some other Toko who had a long tongue and freaking out a few classmates notwithstanding) but Kazuichi hadn't said a word nor had he left. The Ultimate Mechanic was a sensitive soul despite his grunge appearance and reminded Kirumi of Kaito at times so she wondered if she needed to make sure he was alright with leaving.

"Kazuichi?" She asked.

"Ugh… I mean I guess you have a point about leaving a private affair. It's just… I always seem invisible to her. I can only really get Miss Sonia to notice me by answering whatever it is she asks of me or by trying to be friendly. I can't remember a time we had a meaningful conversation y'know? That breeding bastard keeps hogging all the one-on-one time with Miss Sonia too. I can only watch her from the horizon at this rate…" Kazuichi sounded a bit sad.

Kirumi winced slightly as she could feel his emotions brushing against her rather roughly. It appeared he was trying to find an opportunity to make an impression on Sonia but from what Kirumi heard from the Ultimate Princess herself, his impressions thus far made her not want anymore from him. Of course Sonia wouldn't entirely neglect a dear friend of hers but she was prone to disliking Kazuichi at times and thus it didn't convince Kirumi of him and her being an adequate couple. So Kirumi ultimately tried to ask a more open-minded question to him.

"Kazuichi? Isn't it possible Sonia isn't the one for you? If you really are looking for romance I'm sure that trying to-"

"But she's my dream girl! A beautiful, elegant, and charming blonde princess straight out of my fantasies! I… I don't think I'll get someone like her again in my life." Kazuichi spoke out passionately.

"Isn't such a narrow view distracting you from opportunities on meeting somebody else?" Kirumi offered.

"... I guess… but I don't want to just give up on something amazing that could happen for me. I wanna have a family someday and here at Hope's Peak Academy I can pursue my ambitions and have the best shot of finding a partner. I'd like it to be Miss Sonia-"

"She may not want that Kazuichi. It's time you should consider her feelings in the matter as well. If you truly understood her feelings, you'd know Sonia's here to enjoy living the life of a normal high school student and has yet to declare that she's looking for a partner." Kirumi spoke a bit harshly, tired of hearing Sonia addressed by the informal 'miss'.

Kazuichi flinched and suddenly looked quite angry at Kirumi, bearing his sharp teeth and staring at her. He then cried out,

"You don't know anything about pursuing love yourself Kirumi! Like Toko said, if you were really interested in the slim Togami you would go for him but you just idly follow his orders and respond to his statements. You don't make any moves!"

"I am not interested in Togami…" Kirumi resisted the urge to blush out of embarrassment at Toko's words being believed to be truth by the Mechanic.

"Whatever. Point is you shouldn't try to break down a man's hopes and dreams so thoroughly! I'm going now but I won't just let go of an opportunity for a perfect partner Kirumi. I mean I guess I'll take your advice into consideration and listen to her more but I'm still going to be myself. Wish me luck!" Kazuichi seemed to calm down with a resolute tone in his voice.

Kirumi felt uncomfortable with this in a number of ways. He sounded so possessive of Sonia, considering her a 'perfect partner' and addressing her as 'Miss Sonia'. He also showed no intent of stopping his advances on her, using logic that someone like Kaito used more favorably to defend it. Worse, he hadn't even said one word about any other projects or being open to opportunities for romance in other areas beyond just one individual. It felt as though whereas Toko seemed to recognize some of her advances weren't effective but at least was shown to care about her works of literature, Kazuichi was here at Hope's Peak Academy to have a good time and pursue a girl. It was this kind of behavior that if Kirumi had seen it being done by one of her previous masters, she would have advised them to do something more productive. Yet she was trying not to make the other Ultimates look at her as solely an advisor, much less a mother, so there wasn't much else to say. The Ultimate Mechanic left and thus she had fulfilled her request. It all felt so hollow to her though as it just meant Sonia would no doubt come to her again about Kazuichi being a bit too creepy in his feelings for her and Toko would likely be seen around a corner watching Togami. The matters of the heart was something she needed more experience in being able to advise properly on and yet it was not something she could see in the near future for herself.

-Flashback Over-

"Love is a messy topic… I'm not surprised you were uneasy." Ryoma commented.

"Thank you for understanding. It's now the end of the year and unfortunately I'm not sure how things have turned out. Fortunately I have been alerted to a more positive bond between Kazuichi and Sonia but I fear this situation won't help promote that should they awake. Kazuichi is prone to suspicion and may act recklessly." Kirumi shared some more of her fears to the Ultimate Tennis Pro.

"I think he'll be alright if we clear things up with him." Ryoma suggested.

"How can you be so confident Ryoma? He is fairly persistent… I also fear I'd just upset him again." Kirumi said with regret.

"If you really want to help someone Kirumi, sometimes you got to give them tough love. You don't think I've been given tough love over this year because people I cared about wanted me to appreciate life more? I think it's worth a shot." Ryoma clenched his fist with toughness.

Kirumi said nothing but she did smile at him. Kirumi, for all her perceived flawlessness was still young and lacked the acute ability to help with more intimate and emotional matters. She had often tried to keep herself from assuming all duties of her masters due to the fact that a previous master had lost much of his potential and capability by relying entirely on her. Ryoma's advice wasn't to baby Kazuichi, but to maybe be more strict on Kazuichi should his distant demeanor or ambitions consume him. Kirumi felt it'd be a learning opportunity for her progress on selfless devotion and as refining her talent and thus was touched.

"Now onto the earlier story... from what I gather you just practiced whatever you could that would make you stronger as a maid and it led to you becoming an Ultimate." Ryoma reflected.

"Well of course. I would never be so bold to claim I was born with said talent… or that some god gives me talent. It's a matter of work ethic for my situation."

"And you had a normal life before all this. I'm sure if some of the others heard this, they'd think of you as more human and less of a robot like I've heard some of them say." Ryoma said seriously. Clearly Ryoma had felt a bit protective towards Kirumi about these comments based on his tone.

"It's no trouble at all. Ryoma… you reminded me that I should try harder to keep in touch with my family and friends even after we've all graduated. I owe a lot to their dedication, support, compliments, and their trust in me. Such wisdom will also help me have a brighter disposition when confronting these Dungeons alongside all of you." Kirumi said, looking much more determined than she had been when scrutinizing the Talent Development Plan.

"Same here. We'll show them what we got." Ryoma gave Kirumi a thumbs up.

Ryoma was feeling a bit of envy about Kirumi's idealistic life as it was something he had before and relished in but lost in the most tragic and messed up way possible. He still couldn't deny though that seeing Kirumi talk about herself and tell her story in a way that was so natural and so easygoing like that of Kaede was really reassuring. Kirumi always felt like some delicate but useful operative as a maid but she showed traits of earnestness, interest, and fleshed out emotions that made her seem all the more stronger. He needed that strength as a comrade and as a strength would inspire him to be more confident and powerful as an individual. So he allowed his heart to feel a bit of genuine optimism that he hadn't felt so far in this prison-style situation. Granted he would still remain on the side of caution but he felt that the four of them could get things done.

"We're all done now!" Angie's voice suddenly sounded much closer to the Maid and Tennis Pro as the Artist and Mage appeared beside them.

"I think we both did really good. They have a lot of skills but some of them seem kind of useless so we only got the most useful ones…" Himiko said afterward.

"Was it particularly difficult? Anything to add onto what we already know?" Kirumi asked.

"Most of the Cards you can get help with movement by allowing you to move a certain number of spaces, doubling movement, or even warping randomly to another spot or course. Others can protect you from Despair squares and double the amount of benefits you can get from a space. It's a lot easier to apply for yourself than how I'm making it sound."

"And we were able to receive Atua's divine blessing by getting good stats and skills!" Angie added, posing in the manner of an infomercial advertiser.

"Can you tell us what these are?" Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! I have 289 Influence, 331 Focus, 84 Strength, 119 Defense, 184 Intellect, 341 Fortitude, 157 Agility, and 105 Luck. My skills are Fighting Spirit Lv. 9, Ultra Defense Lv. 9, Ice Freeze Lv. 9, Cure Condition Lv. 10, and Ice Power Up Lv. 8. Atua will endure a number of skills with his divinity and be able to cleanse your mind with his guidance." Angie gave her stats with her usual emphasis on Atua.

"So what can you do?" Ryoma wasn't buying it.

"Oh well. Fighting Spirit is a revival skill and it allows me to revive a fallen teammate in battle. Ultra Defense gives me greater defense for one turn as a protective measure. Cure Condition allow me to purify everyone of all status ailments whereas Ice Freeze is Atua's method of smiting with Ice Power Up increasing it's effectiveness. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go pray." Angie remarked as she skipped over to another bench and began her routine.

"And what of you Himiko?" Kirumi, who had dutifully taken notes once Angie had started explaining, moved onto the Mage.

"Nyeh… I have 188 influence, 367 Focus, 109 Strength, 139 Defense, 231 Intellect, 373 Fortitude, 198 Agility, and 174 Luck. I wanted Intellect to be my highest stat though…" Himiko pouted.

 _She's really taking this seriously,_ Ryoma thought with slight worry. He didn't want Himiko's imagination to run amok simply because he felt it would land her into danger or make her have too high of expectations. With Monokuma's emphasis on 'despair' it seemed like a dangerous mentality.

"I think your stats are fine Himiko. I know Tenko wouldn't want you to worry about that when you already have flawless magic." Ryoma offered, feeling slightly guilty inside about using Tenko's name like this.

"I suppose you are right. I just feel I'll be a nuisance though if I can't bring the pedal to the metal when it matters most. My skills are good though. Recover Influence LV 10, Ultra Defense LV 9, Ice Freeze LV 9, Energize LV 10, and Ice Power Up LV 4. I can heal everyone at once and give them a buff that lets them use Awakening Skills faster." Himiko explained.

"How do we find out what Awakening Skills we possess though?"

"I'm not really sure, maybe it's some instinctive sort of thing where we just automatically know what it is and when to use it when we can unleash it. Like a surge of magical power coming forth at a time of need."

"That's not a definitive answer to the question but I suppose it's a possible explanation. In the meantime, can you tell me the list of skills?"

"Sure Kirumi…" Himiko said.

Recounting the list of skills revealed a startling variety in them. Three major elements compromised the offensive skills, Electric, Wind, and Ice and there were also a variety of debilitating status conditions to apply on enemies. Poison was straightforward but ones like Curse made them rather curious as to what their intended effects were. Physical skills differed from defensive ones that could help you endure attacks for yourself and your allies to high-risk damaging attacks that sacrificed life for powerful damage-dealing. Utility skills varied from barriers against the respective elemental attacks to healing abilities to status curing. Finally there were some passive skills with interesting properties like increased damage at max health and more gold and treasure gain. The one odd usable skill was Fog which seemed designed to reduce the amount of enemy encounters and make progress quicker. There seemed to be a somewhat well-rounded mix of builds that were possible and Kirumi seemed set on which build to make for hers as she finished writing down the list of skills and their effects.

" I believe I shall go try my hand at the Talent Development Plan game. My build should emphasize what I proposed I would be." Kirumi proposed.

"No one's stopping you. Good luck." Ryoma said.

Kirumi made her way towards the machine while Ryoma and Himiko were left to awkwardly sit around on the bench. Himiko eventually settled on taking a small nap, laying her head down and softly snoring. Ryoma stared at the Ultimate Mage and wondered when was the last time he had been able to have a peaceful nap. He often had been too busy during the semester to take the time to get some extra rest and the most relaxing activity he believed was hanging around with animals. He hadn't been allowed to have such peaceful moments or even peaceful thoughts in prison which made the sight of this innocent girl napping seem very symbolic and important to him. _Unfortunately it's also the calm before the storm,_ Ryoma thought negatively yet correctly, _seeing we're about to go into a dungeon. It's smart of her and Angie to take some time to clear their minds and rest up._ Ryoma was tempted to take a nap after thinking more about the positives of doing it but he felt he needed to be watching over those who seemed untainted by what the world could do to you. After a while of this spywork, Angie came over to their bench and took a seat after finishing up her prayer session. She seemed to be strangely quiet as she watched the sleeping Himiko with a warm smile. Ryoma had no reason to get into anymore talk about Atua and the sight was pleasant so he said nothing. He spent the time waiting for Kirumi to finish by reading over the list of skills. Kirumi then came over looking prepared to give the results of her session.

"I've completed the Talent Development Plan. It is a strangely entertaining experience even under this circumstances. I just hope that whatever we have earned comes into fruition. Who's to say Monokuma isn't lying about some of these details…?" Kirumi asked.

"We'll just have to rely on each other then in that case. I mean you can engage in hand-to-hand combat at the very least and Himiko can perform magic tricks-"

"Actual magic Ryoma. Himiko is very sensitive about those who do not believe." Angie corrected patiently.

"Sorry… magic. And then I can handle myself fine with… you know what." Ryoma shifted uneasily at remembering the combat effectiveness of his tennis talent.

"Atua should be able to keep me safeguarded. But, but, I'm sure Monokuma isn't lying about what he's told us. Especially after all the other things we've seen." Angie said, twirling her paintbrush.

Kirumi's body appeared to tense up as she seemed to be thinking of the grisly corpses of the student council. Ryoma felt this reaction did serve to prove Angie's theory as did the fact Monokuma seemed keen on getting them to cooperate with what he wanted. What happened here and was happening here was outlandish but real. There was no way out of it nor any use denying it.

"Regretfully yes… Well without further ado, I shall notify you of my stats. Influence 303/303, Focus 317/317, Strength 234, Defense 100, Intellect 392, Fortitude 98, Agility 234, and Luck 113. The skills I possess are Fighting Spirit LV 9, Summer Rain Fist LV 9, Zeal LV 3, Electric Paralyze LV 10, Electric Power Up LV 10. Truthfully I wanted the Sacrifice skill which would enable me to redirect the foes attacks solely to me but my stats are inadequate for durability. I'm sorry." Kirumi apologized.

"Nothing to be overly apologetic about Kirumi. We do have good back-up in Angie and Himiko to keep us healthy. Which means it's important for me to be the heavy-hitter…" Ryoma muttered as he got up and went over to the machine.

"Zeal would be an ideal skill to take if you are to succeed in that role. Falcon Kick also seems like the best offensive skill to make use of it's damage boost." Kirumi advised.

"I'll keep that in mind." He said as he turned the machine on and bit his candy.

Undertaking Talent Development Plan was uncomfortable for the Ultimate Tennis Pro as it basically was a trip down memory lane throughout the whole school term at Hope's Peak. There was some joy in reliving positive moments like helping to rescue a cat with Kirumi and Peko and then the culture festival where he directed Celeste into going to Teruteru for handmade gyoza… but the moments with Hajime stung. It only raised flags as to the who the strange figure in Hajime's place was in the coffin. That boy had gone and done something reckless from the looks of it but what…? On another dark thought, what if that person in Hajime's clothes was the mastermind? He was an entirely new face after all. Still, he didn't feel like following Angie's ideology about scoping out suspects so he tried to put those thoughts aside He could understand at least why Angie and Himiko seemed to enjoy it so much as it seemed a game fun and easy enough for them to enjoy. After finishing the game in question, he returned to the others and revealed what he had gotten.

"I have 245 Influence, 272 Focus, 225 Strength, 257 Defense, 172 Intellect, 80 Fortitude, 400 Agility, and 130 Luck. The skills I got are Summer Rain Fist LV 10, Falcon Kick LV 10, Zeal LV 10, Skill Power Up Lv 9, and Influence Up LV 1." Ryoma clarified as Kirumi wrote these details down.

"Why is it a summer rain anyway? On my island, Atua brings the rain only in the winter and spring." Angie asked.

"I'm not sure why such a name was given to the skill but more importantly, each of us have completed the Talent Development Plan and can now properly face the dungeon head on." Kirumi rationalized.

"Yeah… we'll have to brace ourselves." Ryoma pulled his hat tensely.

"Yah-hah! Himikoooooooo! Time to get up! We're all initiated and ready to fight for our friends!" Angie gently started shaking the sleeping girl.

"Ehh… *Yawn* we are? Did Kirumi and Ryoma get good runs?" Himiko asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Runs?" Kirumi asked, unsure of what she meant.

"It means a good playthrough of a game. Like… getting max stats on your first go would be a perfect run of Talent Development Plan. It's impossible though… unlike magic."

"To sum it up, we got enough power to kick some ass." Ryoma winked at Himiko and spoke confidently.

"Nyeh…! T-that's such an epic thing to say." Himiko replied, blushing strangely.

"Aww, you touched her greatly!" Angie puffed her cheeks in surprise.

"... I was going for something motivational but maybe it would've been more natural coming from Kaito or something." Ryoma muttered, feeling embarrassed at making Himiko react in such a way. It was an attempt to be more of the pillar he felt Himiko would appreciate looking up towards but he decided next time he would just be himself.

"*Giggle* It is nice that even when we are about to set off we can have pleasant moments like this." Kirumi

"Atua will be in the dark about what is in this dungeon, but He says we'll be ok!" Angie remarked.

The four Ultimates had but one step left to take before heading off into the Despair Dungeon, fetch their armor and weapons from the Armory. Whatever lied ahead of them would be full of despair no doubt but they had hope now. Hope in a god above. Hope in their creed. Hope in the talent they brought. Hope in what they were fighting for. No matter how much of a struggle the Despair Dungeon would prove, surrender was not in their mind.

To Be Continued...


End file.
